Motivating Motivating the teenage learnerthe teenage learner

A two-way streetA two-way street

Anna WhitcherAnna Whitcher

Faces of the teenage Faces of the teenage learnerlearner

What do they have to What do they have to say?say?

What do they respond to?What do they respond to?

What are their interests?What are their interests?

Who do they talk to?Who do they talk to?

How do they How do they communicate?communicate?

The norm: The norm: operating on multiple operating on multiple

channelschannels

What works in their What works in their world?world?

Going from the Going from the classroom … classroom …

……to building a two-way to building a two-way street street

How do we create flow?How do we create flow?

Find an equal playing Find an equal playing fieldfield

• Discover what’s Discover what’s unique about your unique about your classclass

• Take an inventory of Take an inventory of the class’s interests the class’s interests

• Find parallels with Find parallels with your materialyour material

• Create dialogue Create dialogue based on their based on their interests and support interests and support it with your materialit with your material

What they bring to the What they bring to the gamegame

• A variety of A variety of communication communication methodsmethods

• Effective ways to Effective ways to send and receive send and receive messagesmessages

• Efficient language Efficient language chunkschunks

• An ability to An ability to communicate communicate meaningful contentmeaningful content

• Multiple channelsMultiple channels

What you bringWhat you bring

• Your knowledge of the target languageYour knowledge of the target language• Your experience as a facilitatorYour experience as a facilitator• An openness to new ways of An openness to new ways of

communicatingcommunicating• An instigator of dialogueAn instigator of dialogue• An ability to listenAn ability to listen• An effective communicator inside and An effective communicator inside and

outside the classroomoutside the classroom• Possibly a multiple channel user alreadyPossibly a multiple channel user already

Naming the contentNaming the content

• What do you have already in your What do you have already in your classroom?classroom?

• How do the interests of your students fit How do the interests of your students fit with the material you have?with the material you have?

• Narrow it downNarrow it down• Pull ideas from your chosen areas (based Pull ideas from your chosen areas (based

on student input) and expand themon student input) and expand them• Ask students to become involved in the Ask students to become involved in the

content-building process content-building process

Finding the materialFinding the material

• Don’t limit yourself to one medium Don’t limit yourself to one medium • Choose the best way for you to Choose the best way for you to

present an idea and be flexiblepresent an idea and be flexible• Don’t rely on technology – use it for a Don’t rely on technology – use it for a

specific purpose, not just for the sake specific purpose, not just for the sake of itof it

• View your students as a resource, not View your students as a resource, not only for ideas but for actual materialsonly for ideas but for actual materials

Students as a resourceStudents as a resource

• Identify the Identify the different types of different types of characters characters

• Group them Group them according to their according to their interestsinterests

• Find crossover Find crossover areasareas

• Capitalize on what Capitalize on what they have to offerthey have to offer

Actors, models, Actors, models, musiciansmusicians

Collectors, inventors, Collectors, inventors, sports fanssports fans

Using their own visualsUsing their own visuals

“This is my favourite photo because I remember feeling

really happy and free.”Elena, 14

“This is my best friend and me in my bedroom.

We are cross-eyed and I love it because in this photo

we are doing stupid things, like we always do

when we’re together, so this photo expresses perfectly how we are.”

Irene, 15

Have them bring in Have them bring in their works of art…their works of art…

their passions and their passions and collections …collections …

their opinions and their opinions and emotions …emotions …

Creating the Creating the conversationconversation

• By bringing in their ideas, interests and By bringing in their ideas, interests and even their own work, you are validating even their own work, you are validating who they are.who they are.

• You are letting them start the conversation You are letting them start the conversation which you then build with them.which you then build with them.

• They feel motivated to speak about topics They feel motivated to speak about topics and issues that concern them directly.and issues that concern them directly.

• You are helping them connect the dots You are helping them connect the dots between their interests and the new between their interests and the new language.language.

Building materials with Building materials with studentsstudents

• Once students have their item (s), Once students have their item (s), start with something simplestart with something simple

• Make the task something all can Make the task something all can achieve at some levelachieve at some level

• What works for one student might What works for one student might not work for anothernot work for another

• Make them aware of their audienceMake them aware of their audience

Short writing samplesShort writing samples

Photo diaries and videosPhoto diaries and videos

Class photo albumsClass photo albums

• Have students bring Have students bring in the vocabulary in the vocabulary items for your items for your current topiccurrent topic

• Take photos or have Take photos or have them take photos of them take photos of each othereach other

• Upload them and Upload them and have pairs identify have pairs identify and describe the and describe the photosphotos

Written interviewsWritten interviews

When did you start making jewellery? When did you start making jewellery? I love all kinds of art – photography, sewing and knitting. When I was I love all kinds of art – photography, sewing and knitting. When I was little, I made dresses out of plastic bags. And I built things from trash. little, I made dresses out of plastic bags. And I built things from trash. By the time I was eight, I started to make sculptures and jewellery.By the time I was eight, I started to make sculptures and jewellery.

Why do you enjoy working with metal? And where do you get your Why do you enjoy working with metal? And where do you get your ideas from?ideas from?I like metal because you can do different things with it. I like making all I like metal because you can do different things with it. I like making all kinds of shapes and I love trying new ideas. Other artists inspire me too.kinds of shapes and I love trying new ideas. Other artists inspire me too.

Using online tools to create Using online tools to create materialsmaterials

• Online tools are another good way to Online tools are another good way to build student-generated text in your build student-generated text in your own classroom and many are freeown classroom and many are free

• These can be done in class if computers These can be done in class if computers are available or at home are available or at home

• Be selective with the tools and Be selective with the tools and experiment with several before you try experiment with several before you try them out with your classthem out with your class

• Be aware of privacy issues and select Be aware of privacy issues and select the education option if a site has onethe education option if a site has one

GlogsterGlogster

• www.glogster.comwww.glogster.com• Choose a topicChoose a topic• Give students Give students

several writing several writing promptsprompts

• Have them write Have them write bits of textbits of text

• Have them select Have them select photos, videos and photos, videos and other graphics to other graphics to illustrate their ideasillustrate their ideas

StorybirdStorybird

• www.storybird.comwww.storybird.com• Students select a title Students select a title

and story contentand story content• Choose a variety of Choose a variety of

art and stylesart and styles• Build their story Build their story

content on the content on the visualsvisuals

• Publish their own Publish their own stories together or stories together or individuallyindividually

ifaketextifaketext

• Enter a nameEnter a name• Choose a carrierChoose a carrier• Enter a conversationEnter a conversation• Create your Create your

screenshotscreenshot• Students can create Students can create

conversations conversations together or together or separatelyseparately

• Good functional Good functional writing practicewriting practice

www.ifaketext.comwww.ifaketext.com

GrockitGrockit

• www.grockit.comwww.grockit.com• You and your You and your

students sign in as students sign in as usersusers

• Select a video from Select a video from YouTubeYouTube

• Video will appear Video will appear with question fieldswith question fields

• You can indicate your You can indicate your questions at any questions at any point point

Integrating CLILIntegrating CLIL

• Connections with CLIL (Content and Connections with CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) and Language Integrated Learning) and content teachingcontent teaching

• A lot of what your students suggest might A lot of what your students suggest might bring in topics that are new to youbring in topics that are new to you

• Consider the unusual and/or more Consider the unusual and/or more controversial topics suggested by your controversial topics suggested by your students students

• Use a variety of ways to convey the Use a variety of ways to convey the content, both from student-generated content, both from student-generated materials and outside sources (e.g. videos)materials and outside sources (e.g. videos)

A two-way streetA two-way street

Creating a continuous Creating a continuous flowflow

• Keep the dialogue open at all timesKeep the dialogue open at all times• Have them bring their own experiences Have them bring their own experiences

to the topicsto the topics• Go further and have them supply their Go further and have them supply their

own visuals to create their own materialsown visuals to create their own materials• When possible, use the same When possible, use the same

communication channels you all use in communication channels you all use in your own livesyour own lives

• Use online tools to help build student-Use online tools to help build student-generated materialsgenerated materials

ContactContact

Anna WhitcherAnna Whitcheranna_whitcheranna_whitcher

Brookemead ELTBrookemead ELTLondon & San FranciscoLondon & San Francisco

info@brookemead-elt.co.ukinfo@brookemead-elt.co.ukwww.brookemead.comwww.brookemead.com