LESSON PLAN WRITING

LESSON PLAN

Form: 4 Date: 16^th March 2011

Level: Intermediate Time: 40 minutes

Theme: social

Topic: online shopping

Objective: To help students in the auntentic writing presedures of personal shopping experince.

Learning Outcomes: By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Choose to open blogshop, read and indentify item to buy

2. Write an order email to the blogshop.

Moral Values: The importance of being honest to people, be it families, friends, or strangers, will teach the students to be good and ethical students and citizens.

Educational Emphasis: Writing skills, computer skills, Cognitive Skills

Instructional Aids: Whiteboard, computer with internet connection.

Technical requirements: 30 computers acquiped with internet connection. Students should be able serf the internet, possess an email account, recognize items and its details and write an email to the respective blogshop.

Preparation: teacher ensures that the computer lab is booked, the internet connection is stable and all the links(blogshops) to be provided are working. Make sure that all students have atleast one email account.

Reference: KBSM Form 4 syllabus.

Teaching Procedures:

Stage	Instructional Activity	Learning Activity
Set Induction (10 minutes)	Teacher greets students. Teacher take out some items that she bought from blogshops. Teacher asks students to guess where did she buy her items. Teacher tells the students the place she bouhgt her items. Teacher asks the students whether they know the meaning of blogshops and show some blogshops banners. Teacher distribute an article, explaining on blogshops.	Students greet the teacher. Students respond to teacher Students read the article and listen to teacher explanation.
Development (20 minutes)	Teacher gives the students several list of blogshops URL. · dresstointimidate.blogspot.com/ · ishirtyounot.blogspot.com · serbaserbicorner.blogspot.com · afashionobsession.blogspot.com · oldblossombox.blogspot.com Teacher asks the students to open the URL Teacher asks the students to open the blogshop and brows to it. Teacher explains to the students important details to look at when browsing through the items sold in the blogshop. Teacher asks the students to choose item/items they want to buy. Teacher requires the students to open thier email accaunt. Teacher tells the students to write an email to the blogshops to buy the products they favor. Before, the students start writing the email, teacher shows them the important details that are usually included in making orders from blogshops.	Students discuss the stanzas with the teacher. Students open the URL addresses Students brows to the blogshops Students listen to teacher explanation and asks questions for clarification Studnets choose items they want to buy from the list of blogshops given Students log in to thier email account Students listen to teacher’s explanation on how to write the email Students start to write the email.
Conclusion (5 minutes)	Teacher asks the students to sent two copies of the email; to the blogshop and to the teacher’s email addresses.	Students send the email to both blogshop and teacher email addresses.

Follow-up Activity: Students are asked to report the reply given by the blogshops owner in the next class.

Rational

The rational of this lesson plan is to introduce the students to the current trent of shopping and so they are not left behind in the fast lane of technology. The used of blogs and email is to let the students feel that the lesson is valuable for tham as they can use the skills in the outside world, thus making to value the lessoon more. shopping is used as the element to gauge the students interest towards the writing activity. Moreover students are free to choose any item they favor and they are expected to sent it to the blogshop for real. This method will somehow create an environment where students feel they are connected to the outside world although they are actually learning english in a classroom.

In-CLass Task: Hypertext & Hypermedia

Gandhi was born in Porbandar, India, on October 2nd 1869. His father died when he was still a teenager. At the age of 13 he married Kasturba Gandhi who was three years younger and the marriage lasts for 62 years until her death in 1944.

As a young man Gandhi left India to study law in London. Then he spent two decades working in South Africa securing rights for Indian expatriates. It was during this time that his political reform through non-violence which he called Satyagraha was born. This movement meant resistance of tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa, total non violence, which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. This way, when he returned to India, Mohandas Gandhi emerged as a political and religious leader in the fight for independence from Great Britain and was accorded the country's Father of the Nation. India freed itself from Britain on August 15th, 1947. Five months later, on January 25th, 1948 Gandhi was shot by a conservative Hindu.

CALL: Task 2

TITLE: “HOW TO USE SKYPE IN THE ESL/EFL CLASSROOM”
VOLUME: The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. XVI, No. 11, November 2010
AUTHOR: Dr. Sarah Elaine Eaton

This journal article pitched the idea of using Skype, a software application which allows users to make voice calls over the internet, as one of the avenues for teaching purpose. Introduced in 2003, Dr. Sarah highlighted the bright side of using this application by integrating the usage of Skype in ESL/EFL classrooms. This study also emphasizes on the relationship between anxiety, curiosity and receptiveness in learning. According to the researcher, simple software application like Skype may reduce the risk of “performance anxiety” as students learn. As the usage of the application unfolds, the users may get motivated of using even more sophisticated tools in the future. Other Skype’s features like conference calls, instant messaging or chat, file sharing and screen sharing can be a powerful feature for learning.

Skype is a free and easy way for teachers to open up their classroom and their students to a world way beyond their campus. Henceforth, with Skype, students can learn from other students, connect with other cultures, and expand their knowledge in amazing ways. It really caught my attention when I first read this research. The researcher’s idea of using Skype in teaching is such a refreshing idea, I would say. However, dynamic ways of using Skype need to be identified to really unleash its potential as a medium of communication and instruction in class. Skype provides unlimited possibilities for teachers and students to collaborate with each other anywhere in the world. This free software program is primarily Internet based; however, calls can also be completed to land lines. This online tool surely takes another step in the direction of tearing down classroom walls to enable students to learn globally, as well as locally with a very minimal cost. With the usage of Skype, students who cannot be physically present in class can follow the academic classes via Skype. Hence, this research should be given serious attention by educators in bridging education in class with technology.

HotPotatoes: "Harry Potter"

In this close activity worksheet, students read a close passage "Harry Potter" and fill in the blanks with the most appropriate word.

Screen preview:

Download here:

Mediafire

WEBSITE EVALUATION

1. What does the application attempt to “teach”?

For this assignment, I chose to evaluate an ESL website; “Grammar.ccc.commnet.edu”. Specifically established as a guide for grammar & writing, this website contains 427 references which covers almost every fundamental aspects of Grammar & Writing. There are six key categories in the website, which are;

1. Word & Sentence Level

2. Paragraph Level

3. Essay & Research Paper Level

4. Grammar, Quizzes, Search Devices

5. Peripheral & PowerPoints

6. Grammarpoll.

Each category will be respectively explained in the next questions.

2. What sorts of things are the application users expected to do with regards to learning the content.

The diverse nature of the website is very appealing for me as educator. The six primary categories that had already been stated as above contain numerous exercises, worksheets, games and other external links as well. Most of the content grammatical issues, tips on composition, and advice on English usage.

1. Word & Sentence Level

In this section, users are exposed to many aspect of sentence parts such as; adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, determiners, interjections much more. It also includes abbreviations, articles and also determiners.

2. Paragraph Level

Sentences, Coherence and sentences were thoroughly explained in this section. The website also provide the users with examples and constructive exercises for the benefit of the users.

3. Essay & Research Paper Level

In Essay & Research Paper Level, this website provides outlines for users to know the writing processes and to organize the ideas that suggest themselves during the freewriting.

4. Grammar, Quizzes, Search Devices

There are 174 interactive quizzes available for users to choose, designed by Professor Karyn Hollis's Tutor Training course at Villanova University. Quizzes done in Javascript are followed by (js) and those done with CGI are followed by (cgi).

5. Peripheral & PowerPoints

This section contains external links to well-known website such as Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and many more.

6. Grammarpoll.

Users are expected to leave comments in their guestbook. Constructive criticisms are highly welcome as well.

3. What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/access/use the application?

For this website, users are expected to have basic and very minimal computer skills. Hence, it would be no problems for users to actually use this website. Only simple clicks are involved and it doesn’t require an installation process at all. Novice users can easily make use of this website without hassle. Users just have to simply follow the given instructions and be directed to the games and other application. Yes, it is THAT easy.

4. While you are “playing”/ “accessing”/ “assessing” the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self-study?

This website does reminded me of reference books but its plus point will definitely its abundance of resources. The interactive website is also another reason for users to use this website as their reference to complement what they’ve learnt in class. The given examples are a very good approach in order to crystalize their comprehension in any given topics regarding language.

5. Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?

There are several theories of language learning applied in the websites. However, I would like to stress on the application of “Silent Way” – a pedagogical approach created by Caleb Gattegno for teaching foreign languages. This website encourages students to work as autonomous language learners in learning the second language. By relying on what they’ve learnt in class, students can actually fortify their language acquisition through the website. Silent Way is heavily involve students mental capacity and to “think on their feet”. This website is one of the best resources available on the net for such language learning approach.

6. How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website(s)?

This website is very straightforward in nature and weakly support the idea of constructivism, where learners will construct the meaning themselves. By constructing, the users will be learning via the website as well. However, this website is like an open reference book. It provides the users with abundance of explanations regarding the subject from diverse sources of references. This website does not really encourage students to think critically because its already provide the users with excessive number of resources for explanations purposes.

7. In 1980s and early 1990s, there was a major debate on ‘whether the computer was “master” of or “slave” to the learning process (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation – was the computer a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?

In my humble opinion, computer is neither “master” nor “slave”, and honestly I don’t think it should be an issue at all. However, the debate was circa 1980s & 1990s, where the exposure towards and usage of computer was so minimal. . Hence, I feel this question is kind of invalid and there’s no use to prolong such issue that linger during 1980s anymore. Today, computer is our secondary teacher and friend. It will never be a replacement for teacher or servant. The advanced technology has allowed us to push the boundaries in learning-via the computer. It’s just a mere medium of learning where teaching process can be even better and efficient

8. Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?
Yes? Give reasons:
No? Give reasons:

Yes, definitely. This website provides me with such an amazing number of resources that might need several books to cover. The external links are very useful to be used and the index section will help users like me to better find our resources and explanations regarding any matter.

9. Suggestions/ Recommendations.

This website has very good potential in providing information and resources. However, the presentation of the website, including the design, should be improved to invite more visitors to check on the website. There are many dead links as well that need urgent fix. Other than that, I find that this website is very useful and interesting to refer to.

IN CLASS TASK 2 : Excel Worksheet!

I've decided to work on the Hydrological Cycle which is simple and targeting on Secondary Students with Sciences subject.

Download the file here:

Hydrological Cycle