My ETALarissa 2021-2023 ERASMUS+ training courses overview

What is Erasmus+?

Erasmus+ is the EU’s program to support education, training, youth, and sport in Europe.

It has an estimated budget of €26.2 billion.

The program places a strong focus on social inclusion, green and digital transitions, and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life.

It supports priorities and activities set out in the European Education Area, Digital Education Action Plan, and the European Skills Agenda.

Organizations wanting to participate in Erasmus+ may engage in a number of development and networking activities, including strategic improvement of the professional skills of their staff, organizational capacity building, and creating transnational cooperative partnerships with organizations from other countries in order to produce innovative outputs or exchange best practices.

In addition, organizations facilitate learning mobility opportunities for students, education staff, trainees, apprentices, volunteers, youth workers, and young people.

The benefits for involved organizations include an increased capacity to operate at an international level, improved management methods, access to more funding opportunities and projects, increased ability to prepare, manage, and follow-up projects, as well as a more attractive portfolio of opportunities for learners and staff at participating organizations.

In a nutshell, the Erasmus+ program offers the opportunity to send or receive teachers, trainers, headmasters, and any other school, university, and adult education staff who are all eligible to receive an Erasmus plus grant, covering all the training course costs including travel, board and lodging and course fee, for teaching or professional development purposes. They can take part in a training course in another country if your organization gets the Erasmus+ grant. More information is on the official Erasmus website. 

But, what is the importance of the ETALarissa teacher training courses?

For ETALarissa Teacher Training Programs help improve teachers in adult education, time management, technical knowledge, motivating the educational and local community, in general, and teaching skills. Thus resulting in the overall improvement of the institution.

The benefits for the organization include an increased capacity to operate at an international level, improved management skills, access to more funding opportunities and projects, increased ability to prepare, manage, and follow-up projects, a more attractive portfolio of opportunities, and the opportunity to develop innovative projects with partners from around the world.

Key Action 1: Learning mobility of individuals

ABOUT ETALarissa

“The organization is an association of teachers of English which according to its statute aims at: –
providing its members with professional development through training courses, conferences, and educational events so that they can be better teachers at their schools – ensuring their moral and emotional development in order that they can better serve the local community as active citizens.

To that end, our association has created partnerships with local, national, and international organizations
i.e. the Municipality of Larissa, EEPEK (https://www.eepek.gr/el/), American Embassy (https://gr.usembassy.gov/education-culture/), TESOL Greece (https://tesolgreece.org/) KETHEA (Therapy Centre for Addictions: https://www.kethea.gr/en/), Teachers for Europe (https://www.teachers4europe.eu/), ECML (https://www.ecml.at/ ), Global Village Project (https://globalvillageproject.org/).

In cooperation with these bodies, we have organized
various events addressed not only to our members but also to the wider community.

Moreover, the association has become an active member of the “Larissa Learning City”
network, which is responsible for creating training opportunities for disadvantaged social groups and individuals. Our members are already active contributors to this network’s actions to build a thriving inclusive learning environment in the city in the wake of the financial crisis Our association can manage and implement the project efficiently as the Board Members have previous experience in similar projects.”

To give you a broader idea, I am sharing two of the mobilities I have personally taken part in, representing ETALarissa, during the last two years.

All the information below comes from our collaborative mobility diaries.

Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence for teachers and education staff

Arrival date: 25/07/2021 Departure Date: 31/07/2021 

Venue: Palermo, Sicily, Italy

 Training introduction 

This structured intense course aims to enable participants to improve their soft skills such as team working,  working in a multicultural environment, managing a team, leadership, crisis and conflicts management, public speaking, communication, and meeting management. The general aim of this course is to foster excellence in education by empowering teachers, trainers, headmasters, and other education staff to improve their soft skills together with other participants and trainers throughout all of Europe gaining as well a broader understanding of education in Europe, and exchanging best practices and experiences. 

Thanks to this course the participants: 

– Acquire knowledge and tools about teamwork and team management, conflict management, meeting  management, public speaking, and communication through specific practical learning sessions; – Improve their practical soft skills through group exercises and tools’ simulations; 

– Cooperate and learn in an international context improving their capacity to communicate in English and teamwork  in a multicultural environment; 

– Improve their Curriculum Vitae competencies and their employability perspectives; 

– Exchange best practices and share experiences with participants and staff coming throughout Europe; – Make contacts with individuals and organizations working in the education field in Europe through everyday  cooperation and networking and team-building activities; 

– Visit and network with Italian institutions. More information on the website: www.erasmustrainingcourses.eu

Day 1

The first day was the introduction to the course and the trainer provided us with useful information concerning our stay. The team building activities were successful in letting us mingle and meet each other and refer to our expectations of the program.

There was a PowerPoint presentation and five different activities took place, each helping us visualize what was presented. The most important points covered were:

The kind of soft skills we are going to explore, mentioning as a very basic one, is the N.L.P skill and its presuppositions. Based on that a teacher should break up his students’ beliefs in order to motivate them.

Furthermore, unless you try, fail, and try again you will not learn and eventually succeed in your visions.

Another point was the quote by Alfred Korzibsky “the map is not the territory”, which reminded us that each person perceives things and learns in a different manner. This quote was actually used by us during lunch and dinner.

Culturally we walked around the town, sightseeing and tasting local delicacies on our own.

Day 2

We started off the day with a wrap-up activity to see what we remembered from the previous day and made a mind map of everything.

Afterward, we focused on leadership styles and had a group activity on that. Next, there was a ninja move from our trainer when he asked us to prepare a 2-minute speech ( in 10 seconds) and deliver it. During this activity, there were some revealing moments for most of us. We are waiting for the feedback.

Then we went on to communication styles, how to achieve assertiveness, and how to use it as an effective way of communication. Through an activity, we practiced saying no and how recognizing different learning styles.

In the afternoon we spent a beautiful evening in the historic city of Palermo guided by Guilia Zambou. The day ended under the lit streets of via Marquesa.

Day 3

Morning wrap-up. We were divided into two groups to discuss leadership styles and communication types which were the topics of the previous day while commenting on each other’s public speech attempts and presenting it in the front.

Next, our trainer presented us with an activity we could try with our colleagues/ students, so as to raise awareness concerning the different types of communication we use and how to make the best of it.

Our main topic of the day was non-verbal communication and learning to speak body language. We focused on:  eye contact, posture, and tone of voice, important elements when delivering a speech. All this was supported by discussing extensive examples of different body positions and the signal they convey.

Yet the day finished early so as to have a guided tour in Cefalu which included swimming in the Mediterranean waters under the hot sun.

Day 4

After the morning wrap-up, where we elaborated on body language and the significance of non-verbal communication, we focused on public speech. After defining what a public speech is, we were shown the main principles of one. Today’s training involved a lot of theory on how to prepare a speech and the ways we can use to highlight what’s important. “The audience is always on our side” is a presupposition. There were some more activities in between and towards the end we were shown videos of our first attempts at public speaking. We all commented and our trainer provided us with his feedback.

In the afternoon we enjoyed a guided tour in Monreale where we saw the famous cathedral, which is part of the Unesco heritage list of monuments.

Another day passed, knowledge was acquired, and connections were made. Erasmus has so much to offer!   

Day 5

A week has passed and we haven’t even realized it. We summed up everything on public speech and moved on to emotional intelligence. It was a day full of activities starting with the 5 pillars of emotional quotient and an empathy bingo. We all won because it was a win/win situation. This is not the case with conflict as we learned afterward.  Although it can be positive, one may choose when, how, and where to engage. So we’ve put on our thinking hats and tried to reach a resolution. Not always easy.

But all good things come to an end. So we took our certificates and pictures and.. headed off to the beach. We said goodbye to Sicily and our new friends with a lot of pizza, some wine, and some dancing. 

Teaching tolerance, diversity, and active citizenship in the 21st-century classroom

Training session: 20.06 – 26.06.2022

Venue:  Escola Superior de Educação,  Santarém , Portugal

Training introduction 

Our training was based on the “My Europe – Your Europe – Your Say”(ME-YOU-US) project resulted from the joint expertise and experience of like-minded organizations from different sectors of education who believe that every individual is unique, equally worthy, and has the right to live according to their beliefs, customs, practices and established behavior rules. Europe is quite different compared to what it used to be a few years ago. Globalization and migration have brought together people from different ethnic origins, religious backgrounds, beliefs, traditions, and languages. However, sharing a common space does not automatically result in overcoming the boundaries of historically constituted communities; it does not necessarily involve opening yourself to otherness. It even resulted in the opposite: nationalistic and xenophobic political parties have been emerging and gaining public support in many EU countries, with the six partner countries included.

Considering the latest events and development trends in Europe the idea of launching a project that will provide support to educators in their mission to teach students to live with the new realities in Europe, not only to accept the diversity of people and concepts but to value it as an opportunity through which we can learn from one another in order to build stronger, more dynamic societies, seemed crucial.

Day 1 

We have realized our fears and expectations about the course and not only. 

Also, we understood that we have to learn to be more tolerant and value diversity to learn from each other and build stronger and more dynamic societies. To do so, teachers and students need tools and training. 

Globalization and migration have brought together people from different ethnic origins, religions, backgrounds, beliefs, traditions, and languages. 

We have considered our students` objectives: to believe in and respect human rights, value every member of society as a human being, to be actively involved in the community, which are just a few of them. 

All in all, our course modules include diversity, human rights, and active citizenship.  

Positive aspects of the first day ; 

The networking activities, the warm-up ice breakers, and the team-building games we played working in teams, both indoors and outdoors. 

Day 2 

Today, we worked on formal, non-formal, and informal education: characteristics, similarities, and differences. 

We agreed that formal education is usually less creative, teacher-oriented, rather monotonous, exams oriented, and less effective, with a well-planned syllabus and limited teaching of life skills. We also agreed that nonformal education is usually based on satisfaction, fun, intrinsic motivation, freedom of choice, and observation. On the other hand, informal education involves caring teachers and an informal curriculum, and it is usually spontaneous, highly motivating, and essential to life-long learning. 

We also practiced several non-formal highly interesting evaluation techniques.

We were introduced to the human rights module and experienced a few relevant team-building activities and games. 

Finally, we stepped in the shoes of students and participated in a training session from the human rights module followed by the course daily evaluation. 

Positive aspects of the first day ; 

The networking activities and the human rights team building activities and games, both indoors and outdoors. 

Negative aspects of the first day:

The lack of networking and cultural activities and leisure time spent with the course partners, in the afternoons. 

Day 3 

Today, we were sent the digital teacher’s manual and were introduced to its content, in detail.

We were also introduced to the “Diversity and Social Inclusion” module, its energizers, and its objectives. 

We learned how to recognize the manifestation of social exclusion behavior. 

We also learned how to create a culture of zero tolerance for social exclusion as a form of bullying in the school environment.

Finally, we discussed one`s responsibility in fighting social exclusion. 

We stepped in the shoes of students and participated in a training session from the FSI module, in which we were asked to participate in sketches, concerning either social inclusion or social exclusion.

Additionally, we learned how to teach our students how to reflect, using Bonno`s  6 thinking hats and we were introduced to several relaxation techniques which are related to diversity. 

All in all, we understood that thinking about past and future events and decisions can be frustrating and that life is complex, therefore we should always distinguish between the different aspects of a decision, in order to see the real picture before we take action. 

The group social interaction and bonding were today`s highlights.

First, we participated in inspiring group activities, which had to do with the Theatre of the Oppressed and later we visited the Municipality House of Santarem and were offered a tour of the town by a professional guide.  

The only negative comment concerns the lack of practical support and quidance by the course organizers when it comes to our evening cultural activities and day trips.

Day 4

Today, we went on an educational day trip to an inclusive public  Portuguese School: Agrupamento de Escolas Cidade do Entroncamento AECE (in the town of  Entroncamento) where there we were welcomed by the school principal of AECE or  Escolá Básica da Zona Verde.

We discussed practical activities making use of the training resources in the Teachers’ Toolkit for teaching Human rights, Diversity, and Active Citizenship by the teachers from the school.

We realized that for Portugal, inclusive education is for all students. This means that there is no distinction between student groups and no labeling of students. Instead, students’ individual needs are considered and supported by various measures in schools.

Portugal has had in place laws envisioning the provision of education for all students, without exception, in their local mainstream schools.

Special schools are being transformed into resource centers for inclusion, supporting their former students, now placed in mainstream schools.

Instead of categorizing students, Portugal supports the idea that all students can achieve a profile of competencies and skills.

It emphasizes flexible curricular models, systematic monitoring of the effectiveness of interventions, and collaboration with parents.

A key feature is an emphasis on collaboration, with a well-established pattern of schools working in local clusters.

As the Portuguese education system moved forward in relation to inclusion over the last two decades, the country has also seen impressive developments in terms of equity.

It is one of the few countries with improvement in all of the subjects assessed by OECD’s PISA.

The rate of early leavers from education has reduced significantly.

All in all, we were impressed by both the quality of education and the hospitality and friendliness of the whole school community, in the typical local school we visited. 

The group social interaction and further bonding were today`s highlights, once again, during both the educational day trip to Educamento and the recreational afternoon trips, in the area. 

After-class bonding and networking are not actually enhanced among the course partners, by the organizers. It fully depends on us. 

Day 5

Today has been a highly busy training course day. 

It kicked off by visiting the Escola Superior de Educacao STEAM Labs and experiencing STEAM, in practice. 

We were first presented with and next practiced creative STEM activities, for students.  

We were then presented with the Science and Math creative lab targets: interdisciplinary teaching practices, innovative learning environments and collaboration, problem and project-based learning, robotics, and programming.

We were also shown the lab’s digital resources, research outcomes, and sustainability activities.

A presentation of the spaces which are related to the lab projects, along with practice with a variety of interactive space STEM activities, followed. 

We were later introduced to the ” Identity and Active Citizenship” module. 

Afterward, we stepped in the shoes of students and participated in three training sessions, from that module. 

We put special emphasis on European values, a few of which we agreed should be: respect for human dignity, freedom, peace, tolerance, solidarity, equality, democracy, rule of law, and respect for human rights and minorities.  

We also discussed life values that should be taught at home and tried several group bonding activities and activities about people in need.

A group discussion followed related to the 

” Identity and Active Citizenship ” module. 

We were finally asked to share ideas and practical solutions about suggested social problems of people in need.

The group social interaction and further bonding were today`s highlights, once again, mainly during the educational day trip to the town of Tomar, together with the majority of partners.

Day 6

The day started with a reference to the need to make use of the training and NFE tools in the everyday teaching and learning process- discussion, and sharing ideas.

Then, the participants were presented with the eTwinning platform and the opportunities for schools.

A practical session followed about registering on the platform and planning collaborative projects. There was a focus on networking and future collaboration. We continued with a discussion about prospective partnerships and an Erasmus+, KA1, and KA2 projects fair ended the first part of the day. 

Later, we went to Sintra and Quinta da Regaleira on a cultural visit, getting to know Portugal and the roots of the tolerance and open-mindedness of Portuguese people. 

Finally, we received our Certificates and shared our final evaluation of the project. 

The day ended with a short trip to Lisbon.

The group social interaction and further bonding were today`s highlights, once again, mainly during the educational day trip in order to get to know the Portuguese cultural heritage and each other more. 

Dissemination

HERE ARE THE LINKS TO MY PRESENTATIONS, CONCERNING THE TWO ERASMUS+ MOBILITIES AND TRAINING COURSES I HAVE ATTENDED, REPRESENTING ETALarissa.

CLICK HERE FOR THE Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence for teachers and education staff ONE

CLICK HERE FOR THE Teaching tolerance, diversity, and active citizenship in the 21st-century classroom ONE

CLASSROOM HELPER SYSTEMS

Teacher’s HELPERS, who rock!

In my English classes, some pupils are given various responsibilities, different students each day. I call them ” Helpers” -but they can also be called monitors/assistants if you wish and they have certain responsibilities.

Classroom jobs can help build a sense of excitement, community, and interdependence in a classroom from the very start of the school year. Classroom jobs also teach children responsibility. 

This way, the students learn that they are expected to take care of our classroom to ensure it is a safe and neat place to learn each day, even if they don’t love their weekly job. This is so important for students to see that they are an integral part of our class community and every job is important. They learn about responsibility and accepting responsibility even when it’s not a job they really want. When they do have a job they really want, they appreciate it even more!

Weekly, my students love class jobs, as my “helpers” and feel a sense of pride when they are allowed to complete them.

When meaningful tasks are assigned to these student-helpers, students, understand and are capable of my expectations, and classroom jobs become a fundamental part of our classroom. These students can be of tremendous assistance to us, teachers! 

Sometimes I hear from teachers who dislike having classroom jobs and feel like they’re just a big hassle. 

The primary purpose of classroom jobs is to transfer responsibility to students for keeping the classroom running smoothly, resulting in uninterrupted instruction. If your classroom job system is effective, you will never again have five kids waving their arms and shouting, “Ooh!  Ooh!  Can I do it?” because your answer will always be the same: “Are you my helper today?”

Any regular classroom task which you want to be performed automatically without your direct supervision should be assigned to the class helper of the day.

A few examples:

Paper Collector

Attendance Taker

Door Holder

Homework tasks Inspector

Windows/Blinds Monitor (opens and closes as needed)

Trash Monitor

Board Eraser

Calendar Helper

Computer Helper (turns off/on; could also be in charge of trouble-shooting for kids)

Bulletin Board Helper (helps changes displays)

Dictionary Helper (passes out/collects)

Lights Monitor

Door Monitor (makes sure it’s locked, lets visitors in when they knock)

Hall Monitor

Stickers Helper (if you use the System)

Recess Helper (carries materials out to the playground or the teacher’s material and/or bag to the teachers’ office)

Homework Helper (makes sure kids have the right assignments copied)

I like for my helpers to keep the same jobs for the whole lesson and day, wearing their special badges, of course.

I always explain what this role entails as part of my introduction to routines and procedures, during our first lesson.

Explaining the system to students on the first day of school is important, but it’s even more important to teach students how to do their jobs in whole-class modeling/practice sessions. 

I regularly make changes based on my needs and the abilities of my children. 

But the main idea is that each time we have a lesson the next student in that certain seat arrangement becomes my helper and wears the special HELPER’S badge, for everybody to know.

Before the lesson finishes, the day’s helper is asked to tell us the date and if they do that right they have the privilege to receive a special STICKER, to add to their collection!

They really look forward to that moment!

There are many occasions in our English class when a sticker may be a great reward idea. When a child has completed a module or project, they can be rewarded with a sticker to show off their new skills or knowledge. Being a successful teacher’s assistant is another occasion!

The real key to effectively motivating young learners, through reward stickers and helper’s special badges, is finding ways to motivate them all, especially those who have difficulties learning English. By offering special privileges to all the class assistants, in other words, all the students, this task is accomplished.

All in all

Research has demonstrated that engaging students in the learning process-the use of class “helpers” is one way to do so- increases their attention and focus and motivates them to engage in higher-level critical thinking. Instructors who adopt a student-centered approach to instruction increase opportunities for student engagement, which then helps everyone more successfully achieve the course’s learning objectives.

ABC: there is NO Planet B-an eTwinning project 2021/22

When the pandemic began, teachers all over the World were given little notice to shift very quickly to distance learning or e-learning, sometimes with no training. In many cases, we had 48 hours or a weekend to reinvent lessons for an already planned curriculum, learn new technologies, find non-technology solutions to student learning, and figure out how to keep students engaged. But all of us eTwinning teachers, also had to balance home and work and how to do our life’s work from afar while simultaneously caring for students, grieving losses, and so many more challenges and obstacles!

By the way, for all those -mainly non-European -teachers who keep asking me about what eTwinning is about: eTwinning is the community for schools in Europe.

Since then I personally realized that there is only ONE thing that is still here for both me and my students, during these hard times: eTwinning!

eTwinning offers a platform for staff (teachers, head teachers, librarians, etc.), working in a school in one of the European countries involved, to communicate, collaborate, develop projects, share and, in short, feel and be part of the most exciting learning community in Europe. eTwinning is co-funded by the Erasmus+, the European program for Education, Training, Youth, and Sport. eTwinning promotes school collaboration in Europe through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by providing support, tools, and services for schools. eTwinning also offers opportunities for free and continuing online Professional Development for educators. Launched in 2005 as the main action of the European Commission’s eLearning Programme, eTwinning is co-funded by Erasmus+, the European program for Education, Training, Youth, and Sport, since 2014. Its Central Support Service is operated by European Schoolnet, an international partnership of 34 European Ministries of Education developing learning for schools, teachers, and pupils across Europe. eTwinning is further supported at the national level by 38 National Support Services.

TwinSpace

The place where eTwinning magic really happens is the TwinSpace; a safe platform visible only to the teachers participating in a project. Students can also be invited to the TwinSpace to meet and collaborate with peers from their partner schools.

One of the most important elements of eTwinning is a collaboration among teachers, students, schools, parents, and local authorities. In eTwinning teachers work together and organize activities for their students. They have an active role, interact, investigate, make decisions, respect each other and learn 21st-century skills. eTwinning projects involve the contribution of each member of the team. Take inspiration and explore these awarded projects.

Finally, in eTwinning, our work is important and deserves to be shared and recognized locally, nationally, and Europe-wide. eTwinning recognizes the work carried out by teachers, students, and schools through National and European Quality Labels, eTwinning Awards, eTwinning Schools, and the eTwinning Portfolio.

Οur school inspiring eTwinning project, this year, was a project about the environment!

ABC: there is NO planet B is an eTwinning project that has partners from Turkey, Italy, and Greece. It is a collaborative, creative project on climate change and environmental challenges.

ABC stands for Awareness, Belief, Communication.

Pupils become aware of and are educated on environmental issues, they express their thoughts and ideas in a variety of ways, believe in their strengths, and suggest ways to make small changes towards this big challenge. The activities proposed in this project aim to help students realize how global warming resulting from climate change impacts Earth. They encourage them to take action to make the world a better place. 

Throughout the project, students raise awareness and spread knowledge about the issue of Climate Change in their schools and local communities.

AIMS

PSHE aim: To help schools to fulfill their statutory responsibility to support their cultural development and prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of life. To participate in a collaborative project with different countries in Europe, to exchange ideas and reflections, to communicate thoughts using creative ways.

COMPUTING aim: To use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create content that accomplishes given goals, including collecting, analyzing, evaluating, and presenting data and information.

SCIENCE aim: To explore the causes and effects of climate change and raise awareness of the environmental challenges.

WORK PROCESS

Presentation of the project to our schools and the other partners. Some activities include: Design of a logo, collaborative murals and artwork, posters and PPT presentations, collaborative Ebooks, formal letters to local MPs to raise awareness, Covid-19 and its impact, etc

The tasks have been discussed in a messenger or what’s app group with the other teachers and set by the leading schools; the activities and work produced have been shared in twinspace by all schools and the work process has been communicated using the journal. eTwinning Ambassadors clubs have been created to support the project as well as distant learning arrangements.

Depending on the activity, pupils have the opportunity to work independently, with talk partners, or in small groups and some have twinspace membership to share their work, enjoy and comment on the other schools’ work, and communicate their thoughts and feelings by joining in forums, work collaboratively.

EXPECTED RESULTS

The end products are collaborative ebooks filled with their creative work. Some activities include: Design of a logo, collaborative murals, and artwork, posters and PPT presentations, collaborative e-books, formal letters to local MPs to raise awareness, wars and their impact on the environment, etc

All in all, our project, helps us to widen our horizons, reconsider our perspectives, improve self-esteem, increase our understanding of different environmental issues, enhance our awareness of the environment and prove that “communication is the basis of understanding others and the world”.

The process is always constantly about learning to learn collaboratively, building an inclusive and equitable environment for all.
The pupils have been inspired and motivated and participated equally in the shaping of our project.

Experiencing flipped classroom and blended learning

FIRST THINGS FIRST

“What is the flipped classroom?

The flipped classroom is just one of the latest e-learning models which has made its way into classrooms around the world. The pedagogical model sets out to reverse the role of teaching with homework, whereby students would typically digest new educational content outside of their classroom. Teachers would then use their classroom sessions to allow students to apply the information learned, through a series of practical assignments.

What is blended learning?

Blended learning, on the other hand, involves both online learning as well as in a brick-and-mortar location. In a blended learning classroom, both online and traditional teaching methods are utilized to provide a more effective learning experience for the students. Teachers would typically employ online learning components such as educational videos, games, online learning material and podcasts.”

What is a flipped classroom approach?

The Flipped Classroom is a blended learning model in which traditional ideas about classroom activities and homework are reversed, or “flipped.” In this model, instructors have students interact with new material for homework first.

Flipped classroom

Like many educators, I leapt into the world of virtual learning last spring due to COVID-19 school closures. While some teachers have spent years immersed in the world of technologyI was adjusting to sitting behind a screen and figuring out how to best translate the benefits of in-person learning to the virtual world and how to use technology-supported instruction to enhance student learning.

However, as we shifted to distance learning last spring, we had to take the best of blended learning and adjust it to exist in a completely virtual world.

As we transitioned to remote learning, we worked to capture the benefits of “traditional” in-person learning through live, virtual smaller-group classes. I found that this was ideal for our quieter students (who loved using the chat feature to share ideas) and also allowed teachers to connect with students in even deeper, more authentic ways despite the distance.

The flipped-classroom model, whether virtual or in person, has been a gift for many of my students, most notably those with learning differences or more introverted kids. I have realised that the flipped model places a greater emphasis on the student putting in more of their own intellectual effort, leading to greater retention of the material and a significant increase in confidence.

Blended learning also incorporates online learning tools, whether it is in class or at home, that can offer more personalized learning experiences for students. Furthermore, blended learning can incorporate gamification to keep students engaged and motivated.

I firmly believe that, as educators ,we will have to continue to examine and evaluate how to maximize teacher-student interactions as well as online learning tools to support instruction and student development. While this year is sure to bring more challenges, it is equally likely that there will be incredible growth and development along the way.

Why flipped classrooms work for distance learning

Distance learning provides the ideal opportunity for trying out the flipped classroom, as students are doing so much learning from home anyway. It will build on and improve our relationship with our students, as the teacher-student dynamic shifts from a less instructional model to a more collaborative one. And this can help with motivation, too. When our class time is all about practical application of ideas, supporting student understanding and peer-to-peer collaboration, it makes for a more dynamic and engaging online class.

Blended Learning

I have long been interested in ‘Blended Learning’ . It remains a ‘buzz’ term in language teaching, although it means different things to different people. 

Generation Z – that is young people born between 1995 and the mid-2000s – has grown up with the internet, Google, and social networking. A world without the web and related technology is almost unimaginable for them; it brings them freedom, autonomy and their online identities are an important part of their lives.

Blended learning creates opportunities for students to engage with English outside of the classroom, through games and practice that they can access on mobile devices or computers at home or on the go.

Why blend?

There are many reasons for transitioning to blended learning.

One common reason is to combine the well-known positives of classroom teaching with the advantages of online learning, considered to be studying at the students’ own pace, at a place of their choice; and differentiation – using the online platform as a way of delivering personalized, individual learning-when possible.

Time is another reason. There is simply not enough time for language learners to cover everything within the constraints of the class timetable. Indeed, some language areas are best suited to self-study, such as extensive reading and practising difficult phonemes.

We can incorporate digital technology into our classroom lessons along with traditional methods of instruction. I have realized that switching between computer-based or gamified learning and face-to-face instruction keeps my students engaged in their learning and strengthen lessons.

Possible challenges

-The students who enjoy the class may not contribute to the knowledge building occurring in the online environment, while those who enjoy working online may dislike the time restrictions etc

-Learners ( and some parents…) may not see the link between their lessons and online work. They sometimes perceive the online components to be of lesser value and fail to do the online work.

– Technical problems can prove de-motivating.

A FEW FINAL NOTES

A.

Which online platforms/tools are MY most favourite and can be used for blended learning?

Quizizz: A game-based learning tool that can be used for instruction, both in and out of class, or for students to create their own games as more authentic practice. Quizizz has thousands of games available in the library and recently added a student log-in that enables students to track their progress and gives them access to prior games played so they can always go back and review. Having this available to students makes it more personalized because students can get extra practice whenever they need it.

Kahoot!: An engaging and popular game-based site that provides opportunities for students to take control of their learning and us ,educators to track student development. 

Challenges with Kahoot have become quite popular, among teachers and students. Teachers can “challenge” students to participate in a game as a way to practice the content or review for an assessment. Students can even challenge each other by sharing games and codes, which makes it good for peer collaboration and building social-emotional learning skills.

Padlet is an Internet-based application that can be used like a virtual pinboard, making it ideal for collaborating and sharing ideas and resources.  While there are numerous online tools that can be used for similar purposes, I think that Padlet is ideal for anyone considering blended learning.

B.

Digital learning web tools I have tried, and I recommend

Click here, to read an older blog post about them

Learning ,by acting and doing! #Experiential learning.

Ι assume,all teachers recognize that children learn best through direct experience ,simply by providing them abundant opportunities for experiential learning—experiential learning is the process of learning by doing. By engaging students in hands-on experiences and reflection, they are better able to connect theories and knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world situations.

To me, the way we learn is the way we approach life in general. It is also the way we solve problems, make decisions, and meet life’s challenges. Learning occurs in any setting and continues throughout our life. 

“There are two goals in the experiential learning process. One is to learn the specifics of a particular subject, and the other is to learn about one’s own learning process.”
— David A. Kolb

At the core of my classes, self-directed play and exploration of materials allow for cooperative social interaction and support my students’ construction of knowledge about the world around them and this is crucial!

SOME THEORY

THE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CYCLE

According to research, learners retain 75% of what they do compared to 5% of what they hear or 10% of what they read (study). In a world where there are many distractions amongst the learning environment (think cell phones and other forms of technology), experiential learning keeps students engaged and attentive to the learning goal .

David Kolb’s work on the experiential learning cycle is among the most influential approaches to learning I have read about.

The experiential learning cycle is a four-step learning process: Experience – Reflect – Think – Act.

While verb drills and memorisation may have their places in language acquisition, taking a more interactive approach can offer students a wide range of important benefits when learning English.

All in all, by practicing their language skills through fun activities like cooking, photography, arts and crafts, music, drama, and sports, students can develop their skills much more quickly than they would through less active teaching methods.

“Learning by doing” can also boost students’ motivation and desire to learn, help them develop practical language skills that can be applied in their daily lives, and boost their confidence in their own English language abilities.

When students are learning a new language, it’s important not only to equip them with the basic grammar and vocabulary they’ll need to progress, but also to spark their interest and keep them motivated.

Therefore, learning English through fun activities makes second language acquisition an engaging, joyful, and interactive experience, building students’ motivation and ensuring they’re always looking forward to their next English lesson.

Benefits of Experiential Learning

There are many benefits to experiential learning.For example, students are able to receive a deeper understanding of the content being taught. Experiential learning also increases engagement and participation. 

By incorporating experiential learning into our curricular learning, we can result in a real mindset change, through learning skills such as leadership, empathy, collaboration, and communication through meaningful opportunities to practice.

If these benefits have not convinced you on this teaching and learning method, below there are a few experiential learning activities that have worked in my classes and  you can use in your class to help solidify the use of more hands-on activities in your classroom.

A growth mindset embraces learning by doing.

In my experience, students respond better when being engaged in practical activities, rather than reading from textbooks.

So, getting the children involved in practical activities that teach them English, among other subjects, is a highly effective way of engaging them in their learning.

Gone are the days when I was a student and where we were seated in rows and listened, for what seemed like hours, to the teacher on a particular topic.  It was as if the students were considered empty vessels to fill up. There was no time for trial and error for us to ‘play’ with various concepts or to learn a particular concept further. 

Course material would be taught in a predetermined way . With little ‘play’, one approach to learning and a fixed way of looking at the learning process, this could only lead to a very limited mindset to what each individual student could achieve.

Contrary to this view and at the heart of what makes the “growth mindset” ( please, click on the link to read all about it in an older blog post of mine) so winsome, Dweck found, is that it creates a passion for learning rather than a hunger for approval.

 

 

Experiential Learning Activities to try ,that have worked in my class

Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are great experiential learning activities that get students moving and thinking. These hunts often involve having students solve riddles and clues, and students must work together to get to the next stop. Make the hunt lead to a reveal of the class field trip, incentive party, or as a study guide before the next test. The options are limitless and sure to excite our learners!

Put on a Play

What better way for our students to work on their cooperation, leadership, and creativity skills than by practicing and presenting a play. Maybe our students have just learned a new topic.. Use a pre-found script (a simple Google search is sure to provide many), or have older students create their own. You can also use the course book dialogues or a picture book as a starting point for a play. Theater is a great hands-on experience, and my students do love showing off their acting skills!

Engineering and ELT?

Giving students the opportunity to build is appealing for so many. These sorts of experiential learning activities can be used as part of the curriculum, for brain breaks, for projects or as fun school-wide competitions. You can have students use straws and other recyclable materials to build practically anything related to any topic! The competitive atmosphere of these sorts of building competitions creates excitement and fosters class unity.

Games students play

Games or gamification of courses can be a way of keeping students engaged and motivated while achieving the learning goals in a way that is fun and low risk. Points ,stickers or badges can be awarded for satisfactory participation or completion of the game or goals in the game. Allowing repeat play of games also enables students to see failure as  indication that more work is needed to master the skill or knowledge at hand.

As educators, we can incorporate gaming elements (gamification) into other components of our course, include gaming activities or even structure the entire course like a game!

Games or gaming elements can be designed to be competitive or non-competitive. A competitive element, such as an individual-based or team-based point system, can facilitate friendly competition to make activities or the course fun and active. Games can also be non-competitive and have students work towards achievements and badges in class that signify proficiency with a learning outcome or goal. I have tried both, I can recommend both.

Ask students to bring in their own realia

If you want to get to know students better you can ask them to bring in several items from home that they feel represent them. If you’re teaching online, students can hold objects up to their camera instead. Have them present these items to the class and explain why they chose each object. For a variation of this activity, have classmates guess how the objects represent their fellow students. Students love to share things about themselves and are usually excited about activities that involve getting to talk about their own lives.

 Incorporate realia into a writing prompt

To make writing assignments come to life, I often bring in random objects and place them at the front of the classroom. I have students write a short story (usually with a prompt) incorporating all or a certain number of the objects. This activity gets students to think outside of the box and reflect on how we use the vocabulary they’ve learned in everyday life. It’s a great one for both the physical and virtual classroom as well, as you can simply hold the objects up to the screen if you’re teaching online.

Memory

I in a virtual classroom, quickly pass objects by the screen, one after the other. See if students can recall which objects they saw and whether they can name them in the correct order. If you’re in a physical classroom, you can set the items out on a desk and hide each object under a cloth ,in a box or in a paper bag. Then, lift the bag/cloth/box for a few seconds to reveal the object. You could also play “Memory” with hand-made vocabulary cards or use any items available such as cups, maps, toys, to help students boost their memory .

To me, if you’re wondering how to teach/revise vocabulary, this is a great activity, as you can choose items from a specific theme/category (ABC,food, sports, objects that are different shapes or colors, etc.).

 What is it?

I suggest that you fill a bag/box with realia and have students take turns trying to guess what one of the objects is by putting their hand in the bag/box and feeling it. They can use vocabulary to describe the object to their classmates as they guess. This game can be adapted to the virtual classroom by hiding an object in a bag or under a cloth. Students can have a look at the shape and listen to you describe the object (e.g., it’s heavy, it’s round, etc.) while they try to guess what it is.

CONCLUSION

We all know that,every child learns in a way that is unique to themselves. Experiential learning activities help to take all students’ learning styles and make the activity suitable for a diverse group of learners. The benefits make experiential teaching worth a try. So do a scavenger hunt, put on a play, plant some seeds, rot an apple, or build a tower. Students are sure to walk away with powerful and memorable learning experiences.

Here is a link to visit and find out a lot more about experiential learning activities and useful tables such as this one, below.

Traditional learning activities	Experiential learning activities
Teacher-centered/focused	Student-centered/focused
Learning outcomes are prescribed to a fixed rubric or scoring system	Learning outcomes are flexible and open
Aim to explain knowledge and/or skills by transferring information	Aim to develop knowledge and skills through experience
Fixed structure, high degree of facilitation	Flexible structure, minimal facilitation

• 

• 

• 

• 

Teaching about life values:”The Letter “- Coca Cola Christmas Commercial 2020

It all started during the second covid19 quarantine,in December 2020.

It was then, when I decided to teach my students about what matters in life the most: our presence!

To do so, I decided to share one of my favourite 2020 Christmas commercials: “THE LETTER “.

It can be watched in one of my most favourite teaching apps: THE LITERACY SHED.

Why?

Last December ,with a 2nd countrywide lockdown in place, each and every citizen had been quarantined within the four walls of their home, since mid-November. As teachers, it had become not only our duty but also our responsibility towards to our students to follow it diligently, as it is a much-needed step to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Spending most of their time indoors had increased the time my students spent with our family members. Ever since, this has reinstated the fact that it is only your family which is beside you through thick and thin. You have got once in a lifetime opportunity to spend so many days altogether with your family, and it is better to not waste them.

The most essential of all, being in a lockdown has made us realize the importance of the freedom we all had and the importance of the most precious gift of all, a gift that money can’t buy: family!

After all, there’s no point in suffering through a global crisis if we don’t learn something from it. “No challenge, no change,” 

What I actually taught my students ,during our December webex lessons, was the importance of being present!

Actually, we had already started working on Acts of Kindness to our nearest and dearest, long before December, using this inspiring “Random Acts of Kindness Calendar”!

Being Present

This is the summary of the main ideas we talked about ,during our online lessons.

“Want to know one Christmas gift that everyone will really love this year? Having your full, devoted attention at all your holiday gatherings.

This Christmas season, put in the extra effort and do your best to be fully present when around your family and friends. I promise you it will be much more enjoyable for everyone (including yourself).

Give the gift of your sincere, undivided attention. Listen, really listen, without thinking about how you’ll respond; listen with the intention to understand, because people need to be heard: sometimes that’s all they need.

Your sincere presence, your authenticity, is one of the best gifts you can give; your offering is to be with your nearest and dearest.

Let others know how grateful you are for their presence in your life. Say, “thank you” and “I appreciate you” and “I love you.” It’s one of the greatest gifts.”

“For it is in giving that we receive.” – St. Francis of Assisi

THE LESSON PLAN STEPS

I decided to use one of my favourite wordcloud web tools in order to have all my students to share their ideas about which gifts ” only you can give” !

Sharing my screen and my most favourite virtual whiteboard app, I presented them with the topic I wanted them to brainstorm about: Christmas gift ideas for kids.

The next step was to have them work in groups, using the webex breakout rooms feature, to discuss their ideas.

They had to share all those ideas with the whole class, afterwards.

Finally, I shared my own idea about which are the three best gifts we can give to others!

Time: People always say time is money, but it doesn’t have to be. Time is one of the biggest and inexpensive gifts you can give yourself and others. Giving yourself the gift of free time can truly help your perspective in life.

Love: The gift of love, shouldn’t really need much explanation. Unfortunately, many celebrated Christmas and New Year’s without their loved ones this year. We should never forget to tell those people we do care about, that we love them, tomorrow is never promised.

Attention:There’s no doubt, Christmas will always be associated with presents; however,we should never underestimate the importance of spending a little extra time with someone, loving others. Giving, is better than receiving. Some of the best gifts we can give, can’t be wrapped as they come from the heart.

IN A NUTSHELL

Watch the film on YouTube here

Watch the film on Vimeo here

The story

One Dad, planning on working away for Christmas, takes his daughter’s letter for Santa with him to post.  Unfortunately, he misses the ‘post boat’ and a series of mishaps means that he ultimately ends up delivering the letter to The North Pole himself. 

He receives a lift home and is surprised by the contents of the letter when he gets there. 

Few more teaching ideas you can also use, especially with older students

• Discuss and share ideas for some gifts ‘only you can give’ this Christmas. 
• Write diary entries in role of the girl. 
• Create an inner monologue for the father. 
• Describe the epic journey and the sights he sees on his travels. 
• Recount the journey in the first person. 

Outcomes

• Narrative retelling
• Informal letter -if you wish. I asked them to write their letters to Santa, asking for …GIFTS THEY CAN ONLY GIVE!

Teaching GRAMMAR, while virtually traveling the world: a fun teaching and learning experience, during the covid19 quarantine.

Our senses allow us to enjoy our food, the sound of music, the beauty of a sunny day, the softness of a child’s hair – in short, our lives! With the aid of the Internet, I realized that I can teach my students about the special gift of the senses and how they work, even during the lockdown!!

How it all started

It was during the second covid19 quarantine 2020, when I had to teach remotely, both synchronously and asynchronously, when I just happened to have accidentally stumbled upon two great hidden internet apps, that teachers and students definitely have to check out not to mention everybody experiencing a lockdown.

Presentation of the two apps

Window Swap is an application born of people like us, who were trapped in their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and had to find a way out (in technology) so as not to lose their sanity. To me, it’s the perfect app so you can travel without moving;)

We go to window-swap.com, and click to see pictures or videos uploaded by other inmates, like us, from around the world! What you see is not live, they are shots uploaded by users, since the page was created, last spring.

Window Swap is the brainchild of Sonali Ranjit and Vaishnav Balasubramaniam, a couple living in Singapore who were quarantined there. They locked themselves in a house, and when they got bored of the view from their own window, they thought of seeing something else. And they started building a site to travel to other worlds, through windows!

Like Drive & Listen, an app that lets you travel to different parts of the world listening to local radio stations, Window Swap fills that gap by giving you a sneak peak in the window of a complete stranger, into a complete unknown country.

It has shots of places you may have dreamed of visiting, such as Australia, Chile, Japan. And invalid sites, from other worlds, like Albany in the USA. A meadow, with its pond, its labradors and everything, from a terrace that, logically, you will never see in your life, but now that you see it, you like it!

At the same time, a Facebook page was created, “View from my window”, for everyone to share the view from their windows, until travel restrictions end, wherever they are. Until today, dozens of posts are uploaded every day, and descriptions, reactions, comments, etc. play from everywhere!

Without further ado, I decided to let it be comforting for my students,as well!

I loved the main idea: exactly in the phase that you are, that you do not fit in the place, that you are tired of seeing the same walls and the same view, whatever it is,a complete stranger, in Scotland, India, Canada is sharing the same view with you.

The second app, the Drive and Listen app was created during the quarantine,last Spring.

All you need is a desktop. You open the app and scroll to choose which city you want to drive. Tel Aviv; Mumbai; Havana;

Play! Suddenly you are in the exotic, long-suffering capital of Cuba, driving a ’55 Plymouth and listening to Toto’s “Africa”. You can change station and catch another frequency! Either you let it see where it will take you or if you want, you change the city.

You can also choose how fast you want your vehicle to move, even if you want to hear the noise of the street, like a window opening or closing, the wind, the rain, people talking, etc

Of course, the shots you see from the streets are not live broadcasts, they are videos that have been uploaded to YouTube and have been connected to the app. But radio is real-time! And most of the shots are from car dashcams, so it’s like living in that moment and being at the wheel or in the driver’s seat, as you prefer.

It’s basically like a game. Tired of hearing the same things? You have a list of 50 cities around the world to choose from, where you want to travel. What should our friends in Moscow be hearing now? What are they chatting about, in Los Angeles? What do you get from a radio show in Buenos Aires other than the name Diegito?

And if you want a real break, from all and sundry, the list also includes a small town in Switzerland, the enchanting Lauterbrunnen, with about 2,000 inhabitants, in the canton of Bern -a very nice destination if you want to take the mountains, as soon as the border opens and get rid of COVID-19!

The creator of the app is Erkam Seker, a student from Istanbul who is studying in Munich – Computing, what else? When travel restrictions began in Germany, he began building this app on the Heroku platform, mainly because he felt nostalgic for his own city, that is, for personal use. As we started doing puzzles, renovations (or the rearrangement of furniture in the space, ok) to kill time and forget about the lockdown restrictions, this young man wrote code!

When he saw how relaxing it was for him to fool around with pictures from the driver’s seat and change radio stations around the world, he continued, hoping to give courage and inspiration to travelers who could not travel or to expatriates who could not return home! He started to connect his app with city streets, and at some point, the Thessaloniki, GR radio stations went up last Spring …

You want music when you read when you work when you cook, and of course when you drive. But especially in the car, you have the feeling that you can enjoy music in a different way. So much so, that if your favorite song is playing, you will wait for it to end even if you have parked – yes, you are not alone: ​​7 out of 10 drivers will not get out of the car until one of their favorite songs is finished.

Just like the creators of these apps, when I saw how relaxing it was for me to fool around with pictures from open windows or the driver’s seat and change radio stations around the world, I decided to introduce the apps to my students and use them in my online lessons, hoping to give courage and inspiration to the ones who could not travel or leave their homes!

Here’s the padlet wall I created for my students to help them share their window or street descriptions after they have used the two apps.

AN EXAMPLE

MIAMI, USA –

AARON AND JESSICA’S WINDOW

The rain sounds loud

The grass smells nice

The sky looks cloudy

The garden looks beautiful.

The food in the barbeque tastes delicious.

Teaching the Verbs of Senses, online

A summary

 Start by writing the five senses across the top of your virtual whiteboard (hearing, touch, smell, sight, taste) and ask your students to explain what each one is. 

Now that they know the vocabulary for the senses themselves, list under each one ADJECTIVES that relate to that sense.

Ask your students to volunteer adjectives that they already know to go with the verbs. For example, under smell, you might write nice, yummy, disgusting, or other related words. Under sight, your students might volunteer the words beautiful, stunning, interesting, tiny.

Write down whatever words your students offer, and then add some more of your own.

Finally, ask your students to describe what they can see, hear, smell, touch, taste, in the places they “visit” while you are using those two apps, by sharing your screen. To me, this is the perfect speaking activity!

The teaching steps, in detail

1. The five senses (5 mins)
   • Introduce the five senses
   • Put students in groups in webex breakout rooms (WebEx breakout rooms is a video conferencing feature that allows the host to separate larger video meetings and webinars into several smaller groups of a set number of participants.) and ask them to match the body parts with the correct sense
   • Check the answers as a whole class

2. Adjectives matching (10 mins)
• This task introduces students to adjectives that can be used to talk about the five senses
• Ask them to read the words in the diagram and decide what sense each adjective can be used with. There may be more than one possible answer.
• When they have finished ask them to write one more adjective for each sense in the chatbox, or have them use the webex annotate feature.
• Check answers as a whole class and drill the words if necessary.
Differentiation
Stronger students can write more than one adjective for each sense

3. Listening (5 mins)
• In this task, students watch the video and tick the senses they hear in their notebooks or write them in the chat.
• Tell the students to check their answers in breakout rooms, first, if you wish.
• Check the answers.

4. Discussion (5-10 mins)
• In this activity, students have the chance to use some of the vocabularies they have learned,in a
discussion about their own senses.
• Put students in pairs or small groups-in breakout rooms- and ask them to discuss the questions.
• Monitor and provide content-based feedback if students require it.
• Share brief whole class feedback of interesting answers.

5. Writing (5-10 mins)

Now is the time for the students to write their descriptions. I ask my students to do this as homework.

Encourage them to use as much detail as possible. They can use the word “object” whenever they need to refer to what they are describing in their writing. Also, challenge them to use some of the vocabularies that you listed on the virtual board earlier. They should try to use variety in their word choice as well as give thorough descriptions, if possible. For young learners, a paragraph such as the one in the example above is more than enough.

TEACHING Comparisons USING VIRTUAL TOURS

WE LOVE VIRTUAL TOURS, DON’T WE? GRAMMAR VIA TRAVELING SOUNDS LIKE FUN!

When I first run into this amazing app, I thought “Here’s a new virtual adventure for my students“!

THE TASK

First, I decided to ask them to visit a few amazing museums and special places, VIRTUALLY!

Then, I asked the students to write which museum or special place they liked visiting the most and why using COMPARISONS.

ie My favorite museum is the LOUVRE Museum. The Louvre is not only one of the world’s largest art museums, but it’s also one of Paris’s most iconic historic monuments.

CLICK HERE FOR THE BRITISH MUSEUM VIRTUAL TOUR.

CLICK HERE FOR THE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

FOR THE DALI THEATRE MUSEUM in Catalonia, Spain, CLICK HERE.

FOR THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM, IN ATHENS, CLICK HERE.

FOR A TOUR AROUND THE WHITE HOUSE IN WASHINGTON DC, CLICK HERE.

TO VISIT THE EIFFEL TOWER IN PARIS, FRANCE, CLICK HERE.

TO BE ABLE TO VISIT AUSTRALIA AND WALK AROUND THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, CLICK HERE.

FOR THE GLOBE THEATRE, IN LONDON, CLICK HERE. Everyone, no matter where they are in the world, can now walk around Shakespeare’s Globe!

FOR THE LIST OF ALL THE MUSEUMS AND MONUMENTS IN THE WORLD YOU CAN VISIT VIRTUALLY, CLICK HERE!

FORMING ADVERBS and COMPARISON OF ADVERBS

Another amazing web app which helped us virtually travel the World during the lockdown, while practicing our Grammar,is an app to fall in love with!

My favorite Facebook page “Geography is very cool” has shared an incredible site created, in fact, by a Greek, “Fly & listen”.

George Bakiris is a DJ and radio producer and was inspired to make something that will take us on a journey while listening to great music.

"Fly & listen" is exactly that you "fly" over a country of your choice, watching the sights through drone videos while you can select local radio stations.

All you have to do is select the country you want to enjoy on the right and then the radio station you want to listen to.
So you fly over Paris, Rome or Athens and listen to local music!

After my 6th graders had finished working on Comparisons in class, I asked them to visit our asynchronous class , click on the suggested link, travel virtually all over the world and then share their impressions and thoughts, using their Grammar on Comparisons-adjectives and Adverbs, in the classroom.

Here are some examples

The desert in Sudan Africa

is not

as

big

as

the desert in Egypt

The drivers in New York, USA drive more quickly than the drivers in London, UK. Actually, I think they drive the most quickly of all.

I saw a few kids in London, the UK dancing on rollerblades happily.

I’ve heard that people in Japan work harder than people in Mexico.

I think that the lorry driver I saw in France, Europe drive more carefully than the taxi driver I saw in Afghanistan, Asia.

The drone flies faster than most birds. Airplanes fly the fastest of all.

I also asked them to complete sentences using adjectives, in exercises like the ones below:

Complete the sentences with the comparative form of the adjectives in brackets.
Begin with the first words given:
a. The Amazon River / the Mississippi River. (long)
The Amazon river _________________________________________________________________ .
b. India / Saudi Arabia (populated)
India ______________________________________________________________________________ .
c. New York / Los Angeles (large)
New York _________________________________________________________________________ .
d. Canada / Antarctica (cold)
Antarctica ________________________________________________________________________ .
e. Mount Everest / Mount Kilimanjaro (high)
Mount Everest ____________________________________________________________________ .
f. The Lake Baikal / Caspian Sea (deep)
Lake Baikal ____________________

Complete with the superlative of the adjectives. Did you know that?
a. Asia is the ___________ continent in the world? (large) (44,579,000 sq km)
b. Africa is the continent with the _________________ counties? (many) (53)
c. The Pacific Ocean is the _____________ ocean on Earth? (deep) (10,924 m)
d. The Vatican is the ____________ country in the world? (small) (0.44 sq km)
e. Luxembourg is the __________ country in the world? (rich) (GNP $45,360)
f. Mozambique is the _____________ country in the world? (poor) (GNP $80)
g. The Nile is the _______________________ river on Earth? (long) (6,825 km)

They were also asked to refer to the cities they had managed to visit virtually ,by sharing with the rest of the class sentences, like these ones:

In …………… city:
There are (wide) streets in the world.
Buses and cars are (fast) in the world.
Shops in this town are___________ (interesting) in the world.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST…

STAY TUNED FOR FRESH INSPIRATION COMING FROM MY MOST FAVORITE QUARANTINE WEB TOOL OF ALL:

http://radio.garden/

Explore live radio by rotating the globe.

All in all

OBSERVATION IS KEY TO PRODUCING STRONG WRITING AND SPEAKING.

IF OUR STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO OBSERVE THE WORLD AROUND THEM THEY WILL BE ABLE TO BETTER ELABORATE THEIR WRITING AND SPEAK, EFFORTLESSLY. IF THEY CAN BETTER ELABORATE THEIR WRITING AND SPEAK EFFORTLESSLY, THEY WILL KEEP OUR ATTENTION AND MAKE THEIR AUDIENCE WANT TO READ MORE.

HanDS: Democratic Schools-an etwinning project 2019/20

When this pandemic began, teachers all over the World were given little notice to shift very quickly to distance learning or e-learning, sometimes with no training. In many cases, we had 48 hours or a weekend to reinvent lessons for an already planned curriculum, learn new technologies, find non-technology solutions to student learning, and figure out how to keep students engaged. But all us etwinning teachers ,also had to balance home and work and how to do our life’s work from afar while simultaneously caring for students, grieving losses, and so many more challenges and obstacles!

For all those -mainly non-European -teachers who keep asking me about what etwinning is about: eTwinning is the community for schools in Europe.

I personally realised that there was only ONE thing that was still there for both me and my students, during the lockdown: etwinning!

eTwinning offers a platform for staff (teachers, head teachers, librarians, etc.), working in a school in one of the European countries involved, to communicate, collaborate, develop projects, share and, in short, feel and be part of the most exciting learning community in Europe. eTwinning is co-funded by the Erasmus+, the European programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport.

eTwinning promotes school collaboration in Europe through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by providing support, tools and services for schools. eTwinning also offers opportunities for free and continuing online Professional Development for educators.

Launched in 2005 as the main action of the European Commission’s eLearning Programme, eTwinning is co-funded by the Erasmus+, the European programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport, since 2014.

Its Central Support Service is operated by European Schoolnet, an international partnership of 34 European Ministries of Education developing learning for schools, teachers and pupils across Europe. eTwinning is further supported at national level by 38 National Support Services.

TwinSpace

The place where eTwinning magic really happens is the TwinSpace; a safe platform visible only to the teachers participating in a project. Students can also be invited in the TwinSpace to meet and collaborate with peers from their partner schools.

One of the most important elements of eTwinning is collaboration among teachers, students, schools, parents, and local authorities. In eTwinning teachers work together and organise activities for their students. They have an active role, interact, investigate, make decisions, respect each other and learn 21st century skills. eTwinning projects involve the contribution of each member of the team. Take inspiration and explore these awarded projects.

Finally, in eTwinning, our work is important and deserves to be shared and recognised locally, nationally and Europe-wide. eTwinning recognises the work carried out by teachers, students, and schools through National and European Quality Labels, eTwinning Awards, eTwinning Schools and the eTwinning Portfolio.

One of our school  inspiring etwinning projects, this year, was a project about DEMOCRATIC VALUES.

About the project

This #eTw4Democracy project, provides an opportunity for students to make connections with students of other European partner schools, sharing and enhancing democratic values, at the same time.
Our schools are microcosms of the communities in which they exist. They are the perfect environment for students not only to learn about civics and democratic values, but also to experience democracy in all aspects of school life cultivating the way the students become citizens. In a democratic school students and teachers should participate equally in the shaping of school life, thus realising their right to have a say on matters that affect them. The activities in this project aim to support students in promoting democratic values within their school communities ensuring that students understand their rights and responsibilities and have strategies for building an inclusive and equitable school environment for all.

AIMS

The overall aim is to share school democratic values, with others! Children will recognize that their actions affect themselves but also others.
Our “HanDS” project, provides the opportunity to break down classroom walls, too. It gives our students a chance to see a world outside of their walls and teach about Democracy, at the same time. Additionally, our aim is that, the concept of Europe will be understood and our students will become fully aware of the other European partner schools. Therefore, citizenship should become a practical ,rather than theoretical, part of the curriculum.
All in all,our aims are:
To prepare students for their future role as citizens
To provide students with opportunities for learning in a democratic environment
To promote active participation and responsibility in the school environment
To improve students’ communication, collaboration, decision- making and problem- solving skills

WORK PROCESS

The tasks, will be set by all partner schools; the activities and work produced will be shared on twinspace by the schools, on a monthly basis and the work process will be communicated using the journal, on a weekly basis. Depending on the activity, pupils will have the opportunity to work independently or with talk partners and will have membership / access to twinspace to share and see the other school’s work and join in forums. Children will also have the opportunity to work in mixed ability groups in each school or in teams of pupils in different schools, sharing responsibilities. They will also have to work in teams, to think of ideas about collaborative projects and about the hand-print crafts, to fill the parcels that will be sent to the other schools, on different topics. Those parcels will have themes, such as:school life in the past, school life at present ,a day in a democratic school etc
The project, works on two levels: sharing on twinspace and parcel exchanges, by post.

EXPECTED RESULTS

Children will learn about civics and democratic values, but also experience democracy in all aspects of school life, through their dialogue, written work and the parcels that they will send and receive! Children will also practice writing and communicating in English and children in all countries will familiarize themselves with aspects of each other’s school life, promoting democratic values within their school communities.

Our project, helps us to widen our horizons, reconsider our perspectives, improve self-esteem, increase understanding of different cultures and values , enhance democracy in the school environment and prove that “communication is at the basis of understanding others”.The process is always constantly about learning to learn collaboratively, building an inclusive and equitable school environment for all.
The pupils are expected to be inspired and motivated and participate equally in the shaping of school life .

Adapting our Halloween teaching, to follow COVID19 protocols, in our flipped classroom

 Schools ,all over the World, have made many changes to keep students and teachers safe during the school year, and class Halloween celebrations have seen changes too.

All teachers, have to follow social distancing and other COVID protocols, every day.

Halloween was very different , in my classes,this year,as well.

With social distancing in place , many of the games and activities we love doing at Halloween were simply not possible this year.

As such, it has been quite difficult for me as a teacher ,to come up with fun Halloween games to do while safely social distancing.

Keep Your Distance

Ηere’s my list of fun social distancing Halloween games and activities that our students can safely do while keeping their distance from others. They worked in my class. I do hope, they will work in yours, as well.

What is it about Halloween that I love so much ? It’s its  FUN element, I guess!

Therefore, I decided to try and bring some Halloween spirit to my class this weird year.

I attempted to teach my students Halloween themed lessons, and to  elicit some  excitement from them, following the protocols. I feel that we, at least, paid Halloween  a pretty good tribute, against all odds.

A few of my favourite non-contact Halloween active games and activities

The first day I started thinking about how to teach about Halloween safely, for both my students and me, I ran into this highly inspiring English Teacher’s video, on Facebook! I decided to give it a try and see if it worked with my very young learners ! Guess what: it did!! We just loved it!

Highly recommended to all English Teachers! And, please, follow this amazing teacher! She is one of a kind, trust me!

Make A Spooky Puppet Theatre

If you’re looking for a spooky activity to do with your students this HalloweenHere’s an idea…Make your own Mini Puppet Theatre (out of a cereal box) and sing-along with 6 monster stick puppets. Watch the video to know more!

https://www.facebook.com/KidsEnglishTheatre/videos/2756291474687434

Another great game I ran into and decided to use in my classes ,both synchronously and asynchronously, is this one, below. I found even more social distancing teaching ideas for Halloween party games to try with my classes, in this amazing site.

Draw A Monster Game

That was a great game to play at Halloween while social distancing. In that game, the kids drew a monster.

To play, I asked each student to grab a piece of paper and something to draw with and then played the video. In the video, the students read a description of a monster. After reading the description, they tried to draw what they thought the monster looked like based on that description.

Once students finished their drawing, I/they played the video to see what the monster looked like.

My students, really loved this kind of activity, especially when their monster drawings looked very similar to the monster in the video. I asked them to work on this video at home, using our asynchronous e-me hive platform but you can follow the same steps, in a school class.

This activity can be easily done at Halloween while social distancing as the students can stay in their seats while they draw their monster, and do not need to be close to or share resources with others.

Halloween Bingo

This next social distancing Halloween game is a Halloween themed BINGO game.

To play, the students were asked to create a Halloween vocabulary Bingo card, in their notebooks, using any 9 Halloween vocabualry words/pictures they wished.

Next, I called out one of the Halloween words, in our vocabulary list, for example ‘ghost’. Then, the students should check their bingo card. If the ghost word/picture is on their card, then they had to cross that Halloween word/picture out.

Then, I called out another Halloween word and again students should check if that word was in their card and if it was, they should cross it out, again. The first student who crossed out all their Halloween words/pictures, was the winner.

Halloween Costume Fashion Show

This social distancing Halloween activity idea is a great way to let kids strut their stuff and show off their fun and scary Halloween costumes.

I always set up an area to be your ‘Halloween catwalk’ and then invite students one by one to walk down the catwalk and show off their great Halloween costumes.

This year, I did that with my 4th graders ,after I had sent them a Halloween vocabulary quizlet and these two relevant songs/videos, in our asynchronous class, first!

I also asked them to visit this , as well as that Thinglink walls , before they decided about what to dress up ,in our school classroom.

To make it feel even more like a fashion show, I snapped some pictures of them in their costumes and shared them with the students’ parents, in our asynchronous class!

Halloween Word Search

I am sure that we all have used word search worksheets ,to get our kids familiar with some Halloween vocabulary. But this online Halloween activity also has the added benefit of being perfectly safe to do while keeping a safe distance from others.

Click to download this Halloween word search or see all our Halloween worksheets.

Another cool web tool , which I personally used to create my own word search activities was Liveworksheets. A free teaching web tool, you will love!

Halloween Charades Game

With a little preparation, this classic party game can be turned into a safe social distancing Halloween game.

If you’re not familiar with charades, in this game one person would choose a card -or to make sure this Halloween game can be played while safely social distancing,the teacher shows him/her a card- and then try to act out what is on the card without using any words or sounds.

To make it into a Halloween game, I simply used cards with Halloween related things on them. For example,I wrote/drew Halloween words (ghost, witch, broomstick, etc), Halloween songs (The Monster Mash, etc) or Halloween Movies (Night of The Living Dead, etc). It’s diffrent ,for each different age/level we teach.

I ensured the student acting out the word and the students guessing the word were all at a safe distance.

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HALLOWEEN QUIZZES

Usually, these quizzes would be played in pairs or small teams, but seen as that is not possible while social distancing, these quizzes can be played individually, both at home asynchronously ,or in class, using a projector and working in teams.

You can download this pre-made Top Five Quiz with ten questions.

I personally create my own quizzes, such as this one, on a favourite web tool which is similar to Kahoot, called Quizziz.

Students, love it!

Hot Seat

I thought that, this classic classroom game could be easily adapted so my students could play while social distancing.

This time, I decided to use my Halloween flashcards, to play this game.

I asked one student to come to front of the class and stand / sit at a safe distance from other students. Then standing behind the student I showed the rest of the class a flashcard.

Next, the students tried to describe the word on the flashcard without saying the word, and the student at the front of the class should guess what it was. Super fun!

We played apple bobbing and dangling donuts

1. Apple bobbing – I gave each student their own apple in their own bowl of water, or asked them to hold their own apple tied onto a string and challenged them to take a bite without touching it.I made it a race and gave the winner a prize. 
2. Dangling donuts – Each student held their own donut tied onto a string. They took it in turns to dangle a donut for each other. The challenge was to eat it with no hands, as fast as possible.

Detail 1: there was spooky music playing ,in the background!

Detail 2: My students ,had to watch a couple of videos similar to this one, in our asynchronous class, when at home, before they attended our school class.

Let’s decorate our classroom

You can check out these Halloween craft activities and decoration ideas or print and colour these free Halloween posters to add a spooky message for passers-by.

In our asynchronous “e-me hive“, my students had the chance to watch several videos, such as this one, or this one, follow the directions there and make their favourite crafts and decorations to bring back to class, the following day.

I decided to ask my amazing 4th graders to watch a video with instructions about how to make paper ghosts using their footprints, at home, and make them ,either themselves or with their parents’ help. Then, they were asked to write about them and decorate their classroom bulletin board with them, after they had presented them in class, of course! Cute!

Let’s make spooky food

What better time to indulge in some jaw-droppingly tasty sweets, than Halloween time?

First, I posted a few delicious Halloween treats ideas, to our asynchronous class and asked my students to watch and prepare their favourite treats, bring them to school and share them, in our Halloween party ! Yummy!

A pumpkin carving contest

I suggest that you treat everyone in the class to their very own pumpkin and see who can come up with the best design. Ι have come to the conclusion that a safe way to get little kids involved is to post a video with instructions in an asynchronous teaching platform and tell them to ask their parents to do the cutting for them, first. Then let them scoop out the insides with a spoon. This how to carve a pumpkin beginners’ guide is a great place to start. This is where we started, in our school classroom.

Another nice video, which I posted in our asynchronous hive, to help my older students curve their pumpkins at home, was this one. For my younger learners, I used this video.

I hope, you will like them as much as we did!

Have a ‘scary’ movie night, at home-or a scary movie…. day, at school

At first, I told them that, during Halloween nights, the people who celebrate it take some tasty Halloween treats and wear their Halloween costumes or  some cool Halloween PJs like these glow-in-the-dark skeleton ones.

Then, I asked them to watch the short film extracts ,which I had created, using one of my most favourite web teaching tools: edpuzzle, asynchronously, together with their families.

Here’s one example of such film extract ,which my youngest students, liked a lot: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial .

I even offered them a choice of several other Halloween themed movies, to watch at home, using Quizlet.

Make a spooky music playlist

From Michael Jackson’s Thriller to the Ghostbusters theme tune, I decided to have lots of class fun compiling a spooky playlist to listen to, together with my students. I thought it was safe, to post the lyrics to our asynchronous class first and later,with the use of a projector, have a Halloween karaoke competition, in the school classroom ! It was so much fun! Although, it didn’t last long ,since our teaching hours last only about 40 minutes ! My students were given the opportunity to sing the songs again and again, at home, too, thanks, to our asynchronous class platform posts.

For my very young learners, I did the very same thing , using their favourite Halloween songs, such as this one , this one or even this one!

We all danced and sang happily- in safe distances, of course!

Story Reports

You don’t have to read a book on the page to write a story report. This Halloween, instead of having my students listen to an audiobook or story, I decided to have my wicked witch puppet, Amelia present herself to the class!

It was an active listening activity, using puppetry! I asked them to keep notes, while listening.

Then I had them write a story report based on what they heard, or give a summary of the story to our asynchronous class, in a padlet presentation.

Happy Halloween teaching!

Me, behind the mask!

It all started with…. a mask, the day the schools reopened, after the lockdown!

You see, in the beginning of the school year, I always give my class helpers, a simple badge that can be laminated or put in a badge holder so that children can take it in turns to be a classroom helper. A great resource that the children love and show great pride in being picked as a classroom helper.

But, this is a different school year! Therefore, my helpers had to wear helpers’ masks, instead of …badges!

And this is when I ran into this article and this video, got inspired and instantly decided to create a new project for my students, titled :

“ME, Behind My Mask”.

The project ,in a nutshell

When my students came back to school ,in September,they were asked to mask-up. We always seem to start out school year with a selfie and a class photo, so I was bummed when I thought of the idea of my students drawing themselves with their best facial feature hidden…I was really puzzled, till the moment I read the article, mentioned above, where the idea of this surprise drawing came from.

We simply used paper, permanent marker, coloring markers and crayons.

First, I posted the video and simple instructions ,in our asynchronous class platform and I asked the students to create their Me-behind-the-mask selfies, at home and bring them back to class !

That was a typical example of flipped classroom, of course.

FLIPPED CLASSROOM ,IS HERE TO STAY

Thanks to a handful of educators who care more about their students and their success than keeping the school’s general status quo, the flipped classroom model is no longer a theory, and keeps spreading across more and more educational institutions.

What does a flipped classroom look like? Well, physically, the same as a normal classroom.

But instead of paying attention to lectures while in class and applying the new knowledge in their homework after school, students will watch or listen to the lectures at home, before the class starts, and use the time in the classroom to do their homework. Instead of telling students what to learn, how to learn, when to learn and how to prove that they learned, teachers support them in becoming self-directed learners. I personally, love this!

In our case, my students could submit assessments using online tools, I could send assessments to students via our e-me asynchronous platform. Other online assessment tools, we used included Google Forms, Kahoot, and Quizlet.

Additionally, your students could be encouraged to submit video recordings of themselves using applications like Flipgrid. Sadly, our parents were reluctant to allow me use any video recordings.

Last, but not least, I made sure that I provided timely, specific, and instructionally focused feedback.

All in all, no one is excited about wearing a mask but…it’s for our safety! And the best thing we can do for our students is to put a positive spin on it, right?

The project, step-by-step

The first thing I decided to do was to teach them the adjectives they would use on their selfies, in order to be able to describe themselves.

I used one of my most favourite online tools: Quizlet.

I used Quizlet to introduce them to adjectives to describe CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY , asynchronously.

I also used youtube videos, such as this one, to teach them about the vocabulary they would need, to describe their APPEARANCE.

Additionaly, I used more youtube videos, such as this , to help them learn how to describe their personalities, asynchronously.

On top of that, I used another of my favourite online tools : edpuzzle. A great tool to create amazing video lessons ,in a minute! Edpuzzle is the missing piece for remote learning! We can also track students’ progress with Edpuzzle’s hassle-free analytics as we flip our classroom!

“The ABC’s of YOU” is probably, my most favourite Alphabet kids song, of all! Please, visit to see for yourselves.

The next step, was to ask them to write a paragraph ,presenting themselves to their classmates. After they had done so in their notebooks , I decided to create a PADLET WALL to have them share their paragraphs, in our asynchronous e-me hive, as well.

My amazing students’ self-portraits BEHIND THE MASK, have been displayed, in a book creator tool, for sometime now! My students, were regularly encouraged to visit it , from home, as well.

Finally, I decided to add all the links we had used both synchronously and asynchronously, in one presentation tool ,which I truly love: Microsoft SWAY ! Highly recommended!

Games we played

To be able to practice all the new words and put theory into practice in class, we have tried several games, in the school classroom.

The games listed below may require some modification to meet the social distancing restrictions but should give any big class a great starting point for coming up with fun games to play.

1.​Name Game

Every member of the class chooses an adjective that starts with the same letter as the first letter of their first name. They put that adjective in front of their first name, and they have their new name. So for example: Joyful Jill. For an added challenge, you can see if people can remember everyone’s names throughout the conversation. 

2.Guess who

The Guess Who ESL game is a fun way to practise describing people adjectives with young students, in-class or as a warmer. I encouraged my students to use the adjectives which describe personality more than the ones which describe appearance.

Specifically, it’s great for question formation and practising the different auxiliary verbs that may be used (e.g. Is she old? Does she have brown hair? Is she wearing glasses?).

A similar game for large kids classes (that doesn’t require any special resources) is Classroom Guess Who.

3.Two Truths and a Lie

This is a fun, classic game that allows students to share some little known facts about themselves while trying to stump their classmates too. Each student will write down two true statements and one lie about themselves. In my class, they were asked to include personality and appearance adjectives in all their statements.

We let them know that they can put these statements in any order as the goal is for the class to try to figure out which one is the lie. Although this can be done without writing it down, I have found that with elementary-aged students it is very beneficial to give students thinking time first. Otherwise, you end up with students who try to think when it is their turn and it makes the truths and lie very obvious.

After everyone is done writing down their sentences, then I go around the room having students read their 3 statements. The class will then vote on which they think is the lie. After the vote, the student will reveal the lie and can explain the truths if there is time.

 4. Quiz Time

As soon as they mastered the target vocabulary, I made my first pop quiz of the year ,about the class. At the end of the first week, I created a pop quiz asking questions about what they learned. My students loved being the stars of the questions!

You can make it a paper and pencil quiz or use an app like Kahoot, Quizziz or Google Forms to make a digital pop quiz. This is a great way to introduce a new type of digital activity that you will use during the year too!

 5. 20 Questions

Play a game of 20 questions (or use the number that is the same as the number of students you have so that each person can ask 1 question). Choose 1 person to pick a secret word(personality adjectives, in our case ) and have them write it down or tell the teacher. Then challenge the class to work together to figure out what the person is. This will require students to listen to each other’s questions, the answers and think about related follow-up questions that might help to narrow down the secret word.

After everyone has asked a question, then let each student take one guess.

6. Bucket List

Each student, comes up with 5 top adjectives from their selfie, on their bucket list. Then they share and see what they have in common, with other class members. They could even take those similarities and use them to connect in the real world .

7.​Pictionary​

Students , brought their selfie ” Me, behind the mask” in class.

Then, they had to describe that picture while the rest have to draw it.

When time was up, or when the person describing decided to stop, they showed their pictures to the rest of the class and the describer chose the winner.

8. True or False?

A great way to reinforce what has just been taught.

Instead of the traditional pop-quiz to see how much the kids retained from the personality adjectives list, I tried something a bit different…

I asked the students to find paper and instructed them to make a collection of scrunched up paper balls. I put two pictures on two different classroom walls , one with a true sign, one with a false one.

I asked a series of true/false questions, using as many personality and appearance adjectives as possible, about different students. If the kids thought it was true, they ditched a paper ball at the true sign, and false if they thought it was false.

While this can be quite messy ,it can be a light hearted way to review what has been learnt.

My conclusions

a.When we reinforce self-esteem and resilience in our students, we equip them with critical skills they need to succeed socially and academically. 

When we communicate genuine, realistic appreciation and encouragement to our students, it’s a powerful way to nurture self-esteem and resilience. 

b.I have to admit, that for kindergarten and primary teachers, teaching younger children while masked ,also presents challenges — specifically related to students’ social-emotional learning.

Non-verbal cues carry up to 55 per cent of the emotional content of messages. Without those cues, a lot of important information is missed.

c.Furthermore, the mouth and eyes are even more important than other facial features when interpreting expression. In contrast to adults who get most non-verbal social information from speakers’ eyes, young children pay most attention to speakers’ mouths. This elevates the challenge of clearly communicating emotions to children while wearing a mask.

d.What is more, vocal strain is a significant occupational hazard in teaching, and the increased volume necessary to be understood when wearing a mask may contribute to this risk.

I really hope, the project idea presented here can enhance the learning experiences of young students in the new world of COVID-19 aware classrooms.