Activities to hold the attention of 21st Century Primary Students

1. Activities to hold the attention of 21st Century Primary Students Alan Osman, Beirut, May 2013

2. A Warmer Stand up if… Turn around 360° if… Wave if… Pat your head if… Put both hands in the air if… Rub your stomach if… Sit down if…

3. Today’s Session: Kindergarten & Primary learners – what are they like? How to motivate and maintain attention in 21st Century How young children learn – and don’t learn Implications for the classroom Approaches, materials and activities

4. ?

5. Still learning their first language Have a vivid imagination Inquisitive Good at copying KG & Primary Learners – What are they like? Not yet able to read or write See the world in binary terms Still developing social skills Have very short attention span Still developing motor skills

6. Sensory Preference Kinaesthetic Visual Auditory

7. So what helps this age group to learn successfully? Parents!?

9. So what helps this age group to learn successfully? • Parents!? • Elements of the known as well as the new • Emphasis on Listening, Responding and • Speaking • Short Activities • Variety of Activities (VAK) • Routine • Real English

10. Drilling patterns of English……….? This is a pen. This is not a pencil. What is this? Is it a pen? Yes, it is a pen. Is it a pencil? No, it isn’t a pencil. It’s a pen. ……or Killing real English?

11. Students’ Reaction?

12. Even if we do nothing else, let’s make English memorable and enjoyable ! “For children, learning English should primarily be about fun and stimulation and learning to like English, rather than the acquisition of highly competent language skills.” (International House Teacher Trainer, Paula de Nagy)

13. What are 21st Century Skills? 21st Century Skills are the special abilities children need to develop so that they can be prepared for the challenges of work and life in the 21st century. 13 21st Century Skills l 02/2013

14. 21st Century Skills Framework 14 21st Century Skills l 02/2013

15. Why 21st Century Skills? We need to incorporate innovative approaches to teach content and lifelong skills. Utilize a variety of techniques for children to build understanding through real world applications and interactions especially through group activities. Prepare students for the jobs that have not yet been created, for the new products that have not yet been invented, and for new skills to build towards creativity and innovation. 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times (2009) 15 21st Century Skills l 02/2013

16. Identify and practise words…. Pockets 1 Picture Cards

17. ….but have some fun with drilling ! Pockets 1 Picture Cards

18. Step to the side if you like…..

19. Memorise My Little Island, Pearson 2012

20. What’s missing ? My Little Island, Pearson 2012

21. Memorise My Little Island, Pearson 2012

22. What’s missing ? My Little Island, Pearson 2012

23. Memorise My Little Island, Pearson 2012

24. What’s missing ? My Little Island, Pearson 2012

25. Memorise My Little Island, Pearson 2012

26. Not so easy now ?

27. Can you guess the word ?

28. My Little Island, Pearson 2012

29. Can you guess the word?

30. What’s in a word? My Little Island, Pearson 2012

31. Can you guess the word?

32. What’s in a word? My Little Island, Pearson 2012

33. Number and say 2 3 5 6 1 4 My Little Island, Pearson 2012

34. Clap Hands puppet / paints boat / bicycle

35. Six Vocabulary Activities V A V A K V A K V A A K Stir Stir Settle Stir Settle Stir Drilling Step to the side Take one away Guess the card Number and Say Clap hands

36. What is gamification? “… the application of game design thinking to non-game applications to make them fun and exciting” … and what is edutainment? Education + entertainment “…any entertainment content that is designed to educate as well as entertain.” www.forbes.com

37. Leader boards

38. ‘The attention span of humans is decreasing as modern technology increases’

39. ‘Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter’

40. Gentile, et al: “Brains and Video Games”, Nature Review: Games improve perceptual and attention skills Children who play more pro-social games demonstrate increased helpful behaviours

41. Games also… Create compelling experiences They stimulate the assimilation of facts and skills, such as strategic thinking, creativity, cooperation and creative thinking. Build positive emotions

42. What is a game? Is it different from an activity?

43. What do they have in common? Co-operation / collaboration Challenge Fun Language Compelling Experiences

44. Game or Activity? • Hard to tell… • Many activities are game-like • Language activities can easily be converted into games by, for example, grouping the learners and setting time limits. • Much of this is already done digitally

45. A good game Playability / Doability Interaction and cooperation Fun Sense of achievement Competitiveness

46. A good language activity Playability / Doability Interaction and cooperation Fun Sense of achievement Educational value

47. A good game A good language activity A good game – based language activity Playability / Doability Interaction and cooperation Fun Sense of achievement Competitiveness Educational value

48. Technology – the answer to everything???

49. Let’s not be too hasty... “Any teacher that can be replaced by a computer probably should be.” Arthur C Clarke talking to Sugata Mitra TED.com

50. ONLINE WORLD