Creating a scenario

Hot Tips:

Methodology: While writing the scenario, define the following:

1. Target group - age, proficiency
see also the Common European Framework of Reference - the definition of levels 
or the full CEFR text available here.
2. Task - what the class should do, identifying the final outcome and product
3. Aims and objectives: what the class will learn in these fields:

• factual knowledge
• language (vocabulary, reading skills...)
• communicative skills
• social skills

Make a list of keywords to hel the class read and understand.


Computers skills and specifics:

• create a correct, logical text
• write the whole scenario into a single text file first
• add illustrations and graphics to support reading with undestanding 

Reading competences:

OVERALL READING COMPREHENSION
C2	Can understand and interpret critically virtually all forms of the written language including abstract, structurally complex, or highly colloquial literary and non‑literary writings. Can understand a wide range of long and complex texts, appreciating subtle distinctions of style and implicit as well as explicit meaning.
C1	Can understand in detail lengthy, complex texts, whether or not they relate to his/her own area of speciality, provided he/she can reread difficult sections.
B2	Can read with a large degree of independence, adapting style and speed of reading to different texts and purposes, and using appropriate reference sources selectively. Has a broad active reading vocabulary, but may experience some difficulty with low‑frequency idioms.
B1	Can read straightforward factual texts on subjects related to his/her field and interest with a satisfactory level of comprehension.
A2	Can understand short, simple texts on familiar matters of a concrete type which consist of high frequency everyday or job-related language
	Can understand short, simple texts containing the highest frequency vocabulary, including a proportion of shared international vocabulary items.
A1	Can understand very short, simple texts a single phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required.

 

READING FOR ORIENTATION
C2	No descriptor available
C1	No descriptor available
B2	Can scan quickly through long and complex texts, locating relevant details. Can quickly identify the content and relevance of news items, articles and reports on a wide range of professional topics, deciding whether closer study is worthwhile.
B1	Can scan longer texts in order to locate desired information, and gather information from different parts of a text, or from different texts in order to fulfil a specific task.
	Can find and understand relevant information in everyday material, such as letters, brochures and short official documents.
A2	Can find specific, predictable information in simple everyday material such as advertisements, prospectuses, menus, reference lists and timetables. Can locate specific information in lists and isolate the information required (e.g. use the "Yellow Pages" to find a service or tradesman). Can understand everyday signs and notices: in public places, such as streets, restaurants, railway stations; in workplaces, such as directions, instructions, hazard warnings.
A1	Can recognise familiar names, words and very basic phrases on simple notices in the most common everyday situations.
READING FOR INFORMATION & ARGUMENT
C2	No descriptor available
C1	Can understand in detail a wide range of lengthy, complex texts likely to be encountered in social, professional or academic life, identifying finer points of detail including attitudes and implied as well as stated opinions.
B2	Can obtain information, ideas and opinions from highly specialised sources within his/her field. Can understand specialised articles outside his/her field, provided he/she can use a dictionary occasionally to confirm his/her interpretation of terminology.
	Can understand articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems in which the writers adopt particular stances or viewpoints.
B1	Can identify the main conclusions in clearly signalled argumentative texts. Can recognise the line of argument in the treatment of the issue presented, though not necessarily in detail.
	Can recognise significant points in straightforward newspaper articles on familiar subjects.
A2	Can identify specific information in simpler written material he/she encounters such as letters, brochures and short newspaper articles describing events.
A1	Can get an idea of the content of simpler informational material and short simple descriptions, especially if there is visual support.

WebQuest Registration

Please register your WebQuest. Specify:

1. Topic
2. Target group
3. Aims and objectives
4. Final product
5. At least 3 reliable web resources you intend to use

WebQuest characteristic:
• information search
• information processing (THINKING, evaluating, comparing, choosing, combining, analysis, synthesis…)
• creativity
• autonomy
• fun
What is necessary:
• clear instructions
• clear description of the final product
• adequate choice of internet sources, with comments

WebQuest from the T’s point of view:
• choosing topic and task
• TIME – web search, detailing the process, clear and logical instructions
• focus on information processing – prevent plagiarism
• focus on authentic English resources

WebQuest from the Ss point of view:
• TASK
• instructions
• tips + web URLs
• final product
• autonomy + freedom of choice
• creativity

WebQuest
For the final design and publishing, you may:
use questgarden or zunal:
• Read the registration and free use conditions first.
download and install phpwebquest generator

download a template and use it
• http://www.educationaltechnology.ca/resources/webquest/templates.php
• http://webquest.sdsu.edu/LessonTemplate.htmlhttp://webquest.sdsu.edu/LessonTemplate.html
The final product shall be uploaded to your personal web; if it is published elsewhere, you will include the active link.

NEFLT

Please register at
http://neflt.ujep.cz/

Search the site, feel free to ask questions in the forums!

This project of the Dept. of English is meant for you, too. Help us develop the program you study.

Interactive board

What and why?
1. To identify the purpose of the material:
Intro – topic, aim, target group
Source – textbook
Credits

2. To identify the resources:
References – texts, audio, images resources (last page)

3. To suggest how to use the material – create a Teacher’s book:
– instructions to tasks (focus on organization, variability)

4. To enable easy navigation: Insert links
In Activ Inspire - use "Another page" and "Open a website"
In Smart - right click at the object, use "Odkaz"

5. To use visual input: insert images
In Active Inspire: go to Resource Browser (the symbol of 2 music notes)
In Smart: go to Gallery (the symbol of a picture)
In both: download an image, and drag it to the chosen page


Interactive Board Project compulsory items:
- teacher book with target group, objectives and instructions on the use of your material
- enough functional and effective visual support (images, graphics, illustrations)
- 2 different listening tasks (+ audio with tapescript)
- a reading task
- a speaking task
- feedback to all tasks
- links to T's Book from all pages and back
- active URLs (with tasks)
- a link to youtube video - focused on the topic, with tasks!
- enough space for the students'work
- a page with all references

Scenarios

Scenarios are like stories we can enjoy in the class. They may also be called simulations, or role plays...

Four main characteristics of scenarios in ELT:

1. Tell them a story. Stories are motivating and interesting. A wisely-chosen length and topic helps as well.
2. Let them work. Independence, autonomy and creativity - this is the way to make students like school!
3. Teach them the language. When using the language as a means of communication, we learn it intensively, without the boring duty to memorise isolated words.
4. Show them the real world. In scenarios, one can immediately see the consequences of our decisions, which means we are learning form experience... And experience is seldom forgotten.

SCENARIO "MUSTs":
1. Be realistic.  Check the facts, do not present doubtful information.
2. Focus on creating a high-quality text: well-structured, reasonably rich in vocabulary, without any grammatical nor spelling mistakes.
3. Use graphics and illustrations wisely, to support the thinking process of the students.

Some inspirative resources:

Graphics et al.
http://theelearningcoach.com/media/graphics/graphics-for-elearning-scenarios/
http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/elearning-freebies/

Memorable scenarios

A scenario for US Army training: Hadji Kamal

Videopresentation of ideas

7 tips for better scenarios 

Safety training game

Examples of scenarios
try to play the survival scenario! :)

TWINE software

Other software? 

Survival

http://carolineott.webz.cz/survivalscenario.html

ET encounter

http://merunkova-broskev.wz.cz/scenario.html

How to become a monk

http://www.stefe.wz.cz/scenariouvod.html

Space colonisation

http://tbinka.webzdarma.cz/scenario.html

Solving a crime

http://barcusweb.wz.cz/scenario.html

PC Skills 2: Methodology and Technology

Credit requirements
1. E-learning material: a scenario; deadline November 1, 2012
2. Material for interactive board – deadline November 18.2012
3. WebQuest to be created in groups of  max. 3 – deadline December 12,2012


Finalised projects shall be submitted before given deadlines; please publish your project in your personal web site and send me an email (jana.pavlikova@ujep.cz) with the URL.

EXAM – KAJ/6120
written, 120min in a computer lab (CS226); the task will be to publish several interlinked HotPot exercises and IWB material on a given  topic, and with the requested details.



1. Interactive Board Project
  Choose a textbook and a topic as a basis (primary or lower secondary levels – basic school)
1. the aim: teaching vocabulary; choose 10-12 vocabulary items
2. choose and design various activities
3. inspiration: www.veskole.cz


At first, you should choose the topic for your interactive board materials (ITBM), and list the keywords you want to teach. Into the comments to this blog entry, please include:

1. Topic
2. target group - age, grade
3. the textbook you are using
4. the list of 10-12 keywords.



 The finalised ITB Projectwill be published online in both formats (Activ + Smart)

The project must include:
• Introductory page – Topic, Target group, Objectives, Author’s name, date
• All references
• Active URLs
• Listening task + tapescript
• Lots of interactivity
• Inner links among pages whenever necessary
• Feedback and keys to ALL tasks
• Teacher’s Book  - instructions

 Most frequent mistakes:
• Vague tasks, not defined objectives
• Too many visual effects without purpose
• Missing keys and feedback, or missing multiple correct answers
• The pages are too long – cannot be seen in one screen
• strange combinations of colours
• misspelled words, slips, grammatical mistakes



2. WebQuest
For the final design and publishing, you may:
use questgarden or zunal:
• Read the registration and free use conditions first.
download and install phpwebquest generator

download a template and use it
• http://www.educationaltechnology.ca/resources/webquest/templates.php
• http://webquest.sdsu.edu/LessonTemplate.htmlhttp://webquest.sdsu.edu/LessonTemplate.html
The final product shall be uploaded to your personal web; if it is published elsewhere, you will include active link.
WebQuest characteristic:
• information search
• information processing (THINKING, evaluating, comparing, choosing, combining, analysis, synthesis…)
• creativity
• autonomy
• fun
What is necessary:
• clear instructions
• clear description of the final product
• adequate choice of internet sources, with comments

WebQuest from the T’s point of view:
• choosing topic and task
• TIME – web search, detailing the process, clear and logical instructions
• focus on information processing – prevent plagiarism
• focus on authentic English resources
WebQuest from the Ss point of view:
• TASK
• instructions
• tips + web URLs
• final product
• autonomy + freedom of choice
• creativity

WebQuest - An Introduction

A WebQuest is an effective tool for USING English. In the following two weeks, you will find out how it works, and you will try to design your first WebQuest.


REMEMBER: A good WebQuest
- uses Internet resources (written in good authentic English)
- requires independent thinking, not mechanic copying from references
- is based on information processing: the students search for facts, evaluate, and come to their your own conclusions



WebQuest Home Page

TASK A
1. Explore the web to find out what a WebQuest is. What is the difference between a WebQuest and a LanguageQuest
2. Identify an example of good practice - a WebQuest which you consider to be of a high quality - and enter its URL to tne comments of this blog.

Example: Greece or China?

A tool for making and publishing presentations online


TASK B
1. Make pairs.
2. Your project task will be to design a webquest for a class of eager 16-year old students at a grammars school. First, choose a TOPIC - at best, use some cross-curricular content: do not focus on English, but on another subject matter.
3. Think about the outcomes of your WebQuest. Describe the final product and enter the WebQuest topic and the product description into the comments to this blog. (Sign with both names.)

Look at the WebQuest template to learn more about its structure.

Inspiration:
WebQuest 1 - Canterbury Tales
WebQuest 2 - Animals
WebQuest 3 - Select Your President
WebQuest 4 - A Trip to Egypt
WebQuest 5 - A Diary of the Survivor


For the final design and publishing of your WebQuest, you may:

use questgarden or zunal:
http://questgarden.com/
http://www.zunal.com/
Read the registration and free use conditions first.

download and install phpwebquest generator
http://eduforge.org/projects/phpwebquest/

download a template and use it
http://www.educationaltechnology.ca/resources/webquest/templates.php
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/LessonTemplate.html

Graphs and Groups

Task 1
Excel: Which types of graphs should be used for which types of data?

Task 2
become a member of this group:
http://groups.google.com/group/pcskills-ujep

Visit the Discussion, and present your blog URL there. Visit your friends' blogs!

Excel for Teachers

Problem One: How can you share one (rather large) file with more people,
especially if you do not know all their email addresses?

Possibilities:
capsa.cz
dropbox.com


Problem Two: How should a teacher use excel for class evaluation and statistics?

Download two files (excel_start and excel_1) from http://prekladani.capsa.cz/, Folder PCSkills.
The "start" file shows erratic notes on Ss results.

Tasks:

1. Consider which headings are missing, and add them.
2. Order the students alphabetically.
3. Prepare some statistics – AVERAGE results of each test, of each student, the best and the worst mark of each test (MAX, MIN) and of each student.
4. Find out what MODE and MEDIAN mean. Use them.
5. Use the form COUNTIF for finding how many Ss got 1 during the whole term.
6. Express some of your statistical data in graphical forms. Which types of graphs should you use?

HOMEWORK:

Find out how to create contents (obsah) in a Word file, e.g. a diploma thesis.

Project Checklist

Here you can check whether your project site features all requested items. The structure of the web remains free, it is you decisiona nd responsibility to make it user-friendly!

BTW, haven't you forgotten about your personal blog?

WEB SITE
1. personal information - with sufficient safety precaution!
2. Hot Potatoes index page or spot, with information about the target group, topic, objectives, links to the all three exercises
3. three interlinked HP exercises - practicing THE SAME 10 vocabulary items!
4. a page focused on a topic of your choice - preferably something you are good at; avoid the primitive pasting of information from other sites! write about your hobby, experience, share what you know and the others don't.
5. a gallery - 12 images (of your hometown) you shot yourself, with self-recorded audio comment
6. link to your personal blog an dother useful links (e.g. the class blog, reliable sites focused on teaching English, dictionaries...)
7. references (links to data and graphics you used)

Working with sound

1. Find at least two sites which offer free listening material for teaching English (ESL or EFL). Focus on those which enable legal download. Insert the URLs into the comments to this blog entry.

2. What does the word "podcast" mean? Go to Podomatic, create an account and browse the site. How can we use it in teaching English?

Good examples - Teacher Luke at Podomatic, Splendid Speaking for advances learners

3. Download some text and some music (separate files, max. 3' each). Open Audacity - sound editing freeware - and try to combine the two files into one :)

Audacity Basics - you should be able to
- install Audacity and the lame library which enables export to mp3
- open a file in Audacity
- edit the file: cut and paste, fade in/out, change speed, delete, add silence
- create a new file
- combine two files (e.g. speech + background music)
- inserting silence (e.g. as a space for an answer)
- changing the speed or pitch (carefully!)

TASK
1. Record comments to the 12 images in your gallery (1 minute max., save in wav file)
2. Edit the recording in Audacity, add background music, cut out noises etc.
3. Export the wav to mp3
4. Upload the mp3 to your website

REMEMBER - before editing, create a backup copy of the original!

Examples of galleries with audio comments created by your colleagues:

http://www.dzblecht.wz.cz/My%20home%20town.html
http://skipit.wz.cz/galerie.html
http://vvalova.wz.cz/gallery.html
http://romankalecky.wz.cz/gallery.html
http://www.springday.euweb.cz/fotogalerie.html
http://personalpage.unas.cz/Personalgallery.html

Images in Teaching and Learning

In this lesson we will find out how to edit, compress and save images. The local editor available is GIMP; if you have your own notebook, feel free to use any editor you prefer.

GIMP Portable version for download

Image formats and how to use them

The basic skills you should master:

1. Saving an image from the web
2. Compressing, saving in various formats (with different extensions)
3. Cutting
4. Changing brightness, sharpness, hue and other basic features
5. Making a part of the image transparent

TASKS
1. Find a 1MB or bigger image, save it, create a strongly compressed version (an icon). Keep the original version safe!
2. Play with the commands your editor offers. Try to create
- an image which you could use as a background of a web page
- an image which could serve as a symbol, logo etc. you will use in your web
3. Find two images and combine them into one, applying transparency (e.g. Donald Duck walking through Usti nad Labem :) )


TIPS
How to make things transparent in GIMP:
Layers – Transparency – Add alpha channel
Choose the background using the magic wand.
The simplest method is to use Edit → Clear

More information on image formats (in Czech) - HERE
How to make a good photography?

Roman Pihan - a whole web on photography, including tutorials, tips and galleries
Ondřej Neff - practiacal tips for all

Jednoduše na kompozici

GIMP online help (in English)

Multiple Choice and Gap fill

Let's make our HotPot a bit more interesting!

1. Multiple choice
- 10 questions
- 4 distractors (no mistakes!)
- use sentences, not isolated words
- feedback - additional information, input

2. Gap fill
- 10 gaps
- context (e.g. a story)
- choose the gaps wisely  :)

Tips:
+ Create feedback which is interesting and informative; do not hesistate to include facts from our rela life.
+ Do not skip articles :)

HP exercises can be interonnected using the menu Configure - Buttons.


Suggested course of actions:

1. Create HP matching exercise Ex1. Connect it to the index.html. Make sure you have all the files, including images, in the same folder as the exercise. Save, export.
2. Create a HP multiple choice exercise Ex2.Connect it to the index.html. Carefully fill in the feedback! Save, export.
3. Create a HP gap fill exercise Ex3. Connect it to the index.html and Ex1.html. Save, export.
4. Connect Ex1 to Ex2, and Ex2 to Ex3. Save, export.
5. Open your index.html in NVU. Add links to all three HotPot exercises. Save.
6. Upload all files (index.html, Ex1.html, Ex2.html, Ex3.html, all images) to the web.



Do not forget:
+ No diacritics, no spaces in filenames.
+ Save everything you want to put online into a single folder. No subfolders.
+ Regularly save your changes.

 FAQ:

1. Do I have to use an authentic text in jcloze (gapfill) exercise?
YES.
Try to find an authentic text which will focus on the topic; some of the target vocabulary items should be included, but not necessarily all of them.
Such a text activates the passive vocabulary of the student, helps them understand the new words in context, and is much more informative than isolated sentences.

Tip: explore primary level sites for native speakers, e.g.
BBC for kids
British Council
Encyclopedia for kids


2. How do I make a good feedback in multiple choice?
Just follow these simple tips:
- DO NOT use capitals, exclamation marks, "NO!" "Unfortunately..." etc.
- be positive :) - do not start the feedback with "Sorry, no..."
- add extra information, eg.
Where do lions live? Chosen answer: "India"
Feedback: "Tigers live in India, but lions live in Africa."

3. How should I set the colour scheme?
- Remember that the text should be easy to read - the font and the background should be constrasting.
- The backgroud itself should not bee too bright, not to tire the eyes.
- study the Color Wheel site

4. What is the HotPot index?
It is a html file which includes links to all three hotpot exercises, and the basic info:
- the author
- the aim of the exercises, e.g. "Teaching the names of family members"
- the target group description, e.g. "Third grade, basic school, elementary level"

Hot Potatoes Starter

Hot Potatoes are perhaps the oldest living and upgraded, free authoring software for making interactive exercises. It offers five types of tasks: multiple choice, gapfill, matching, crossword and jumbled letters/words/sentences.

Remember!
When working with HP, you enter information into a “T’s Book” – a file with the extension .j** (.jcl. jmt…)
After finishing the exercise, you EXPORT it into html (“S’s book”). The names of the files should be identical, apart from the extension.
HotPot software does not recognise subfolders. All HotPot files AND all used images must be in the same folder


TASK 1
Choose a target age group and a topic for your own HotPot project – preferably a vocabulary field, which is taught at basic schools. Write your choice into the comment to this blog – each student must have an unique topic.
List ten vocabulary items (NOT proper names!) belonging to the chosen field – these you will present and practice in ALL THREE of your HotPot exercises.

Example:
endangered animals: snow leopard, elephant, lowland gorilla, vari, Comodo dragon... etc.


TASK 2
Use the web and find illustrations to the ten words you have chosen - the images should be in jpg format, between 10-20 kilobytes. Save them into a folder "HotPot" you create in your flashdisc.
SAVE the Urls of pages you use for downloading pictures! You will publish them as references.

TASK 3
Start working on a matching exercise, presenting the meaning of the ten words you have chosen, through the pictures. Use images of cca 20-40K size, approx. 100*100 pixels, all the same format!


Learning objectives - In this seminar you should learn how to:
- create a matching exercise in HP, save, export into html
- modify the colours of HP exercises
- insert images into HP exercises, set their size and position
- add and/or modify prompts and feedback in HP exercises
- set the timer, shuffle questions, show a limited number of questions in HP exercises

Your Brand New Web Site

Today you should start your brand new personal web site. Your own web space serves as a presentation of your individual achievements, as well as the place to upload and publish your projects.
First, read all the tasks, listed below; you can fulfill them in random order.

If in doubt, do not hesitate to ask!

1. Draw the structure of your future web on a sheet of paper. Check the credit requirements on the English Dept. web page to get an idea what the compulsory parts are.

2. Open Notepad (Poznamkovy blok) and write the text you would like to publish in your site. Start with the content of the index page - the first page the user will see. Keep the Internet Safety Rules in mind – do not publish your personal data (the date of birth, phone number, credit card numbers …)

3. Open the WYSIWYG web editor New View (nvu.exe) and explore the possibilities of the software.
Above all, learn how to:

• - modify colours
• - insert images
• - organise the page content using frames (tables)
• - insert links into text and images

Of course there are more elegant ways of editing, but our main aim is to understand the principles of web creation. If you are safe in this field, feel free to apply your creativity and do more!

4. Start new web at webzdarma.cz and upload your files (index.html, images...)

5. Publish the URL of your new web as a comment to this blog. :)


HOMEWORK:
Bring an English textbook (basic school level)  for the next lesson.


Do not forget our three main rules:

1. SAVE, SAVE, SAVE (and upload)
2. NO DIACRITICS, NO SPACES IN FILENAMES
3. ALL-IN-ONE (folder, od course)

...AND MORE:
Ideas and instructions on web page creation: http://www.jakpsatweb.cz/
Musing about your web colours? Read this for inspiration.



Image source

Introduction

What are your expectations?
Write your ideas into the comment to this blog entry. Do not forget to sign your text.

Your First Project

The first credit project seems to be very easy - but it requires some long-term effort, too!

You will start a blog - anywhere, in Czech or in English - and will keep it alive for one semester. The minimum of five entries is required, spread within at least two months.

Do not try to write long texts into your blogs! A short, interesting, well-expressed entry is more valuable.

You can find lots of examples of good blogs online. The most valued usually present some interesting experience or well-argumented opinions.

This one is my favourite - even if it is not actually called a blog :)

My personal and very occassional blog you may find here.

... And do not forget about the graphics - you should also add photos or illustrations to your blog, to make it more attractive.

TASK 1 - Blog

Start a blog, and enter its URL into the comment to this blog.

Homework: Make a suitable photo and add it to your blog.

TASK 2 - Hotkeys

Go to http://pcskills.capsa.cz/

Download the file Hotkeys_Task.doc

Find out how to use the listed hotkeys :)

TASK 3 - Using Word

Download the file Word_Task.doc form capsa.

Find out whether you really know how to work with WORD!