Interactive Board

1. Register your topic in the comment to this blog.
Choose a topic different from that you used last semester with Hot Potatoes!
Remember - the topic should be appropriate for the target level and age: e.g. teaching basic colours to intermediate 14-year old pupils would not be a good idea! :)

You might find some inspiration in textbooks.

Example:
Target group: 8th grade
Topic: Jobs
Vocabulary items: carpenter, musician, ... (10 items)


ITB works as a multifunctional tool: you can present text, images, audio, video, internet resources...
But you (or the students) can also INTERACT with the board - write answers to questions, drag and drop, draw, or play games.

2. Our most important task today is to explore the possibilities of SMART ITB software. The editor works intuitively, and some choices are similar to those available in MS office. To get an idea, we will also evaluate some internet-available examples.

1. Open Mozilla, go to veskole.cz
2. Choose some ITB material for SMART, download and view. Which positive and negative features can you identify?
3. What makes a good ITB material? Think and discuss - work in pairs. Enter you comments into this blog.
4. Open Smart.
5. Start a new file. Insert a text, an image, a weblink, explore the pen function. Feel free to experiment and have fun creating.

HOMEWORK:
Download and install SMART, start working on your own material. Be creative!
- Think about the structure. Include at least five different activities.
- Vary the tasks, bu practise the same vocabulary.
- Focus on contextual use of the vocabulary.

Project compulsory items:
- teacher book with target group, objectives and instructions on the use of your material
- a listening task (with tapescript)
- a reading task
- feedback to all tasks
- links to T's Book from all pages and back
- active URLs
- a page with all references

The ITB file shall cover cca 20-25 min work in the class, with the focus on presenting and teaching TEN (10) new vocabulary items.

Web Site Evaluation

To be able to evaluate a web site, you should first consider its PURPOSE. We will deal with sites focused on teachers of English as a foreign language, and evaluate them from the point of view of a Czech teacher.

The main categories will be:
FORM
CONTENT
INTERACTION


Task 1
Visit the BBC English learning site. What does it offer? (15 min)

Task 2
Work in pairs. Refer to your homework - brainstormed list of evaluation criteria. Decide which of them are more or less important, and form a structure of an evaluation sheet. (20 min) Plenary discussion will follow.

Task 3
Create an EXCEL chart which will contain all criteria marked as most important during the discussion.
The chart should fit into one print page A4, should be easy to read, with all information clear at the first glance.

These eamples may give you some more ideas:
Library evaluation form
Simple, opinion based evaluation form
Simple structured evaluation form
School library evaluation form

Or you can find more online :)



Your three finalised and filled-up evaluation sheets will be published at the web site of the Department of English, to help our students navigate in the complex virtual word of ELT. :)

You will submit your three filled-up forms via email to jana.pavlikova@ujep.cz before December 1, 2010.


Web Evaluation – Suggestions to be improved:
HEADLINE
• URL
• About the authors
o author/sponzor
o country and other interesting info
o existing from…

1. Form
 structure (3-clicks-everywhere)
 navigation – skills, ages, levels…
 size
 (search engine)
 language
 layout
 (graphics)
 opening speed
 upgrade

2. Content
 quality and amount of data
 relevant for Czech teachers
 Materials for teaching
 grammar – vocabulary
 4 skills - LSRW
 various formats
 texts
 audio
 images
 multimedia (video, ITB)
 interactive tasks (online quizzes, tests, flash games – with feedback)
 regular update
 links
 METHODOLOGY
 textbook reviews
 tips and tricks
 articles…

3. Interaction
 download (lesson plans, audio, video, pics…)
 upload
 mail newsletter
 forum, chat, FAQ, Q+A
 feedback from other teachers - comments to uploaded materials

Extras
 free/paid accessibility, registr.
 search engine
 specific textbook suplement
 facebook
 student-focused pages
 contributions
 miscellaneous comments


Types of criteria:
Y-N
scales (1-2-3-4-5)
text answer