planning effective lessons for the efl classroom

Planning Effective Lessons for the EFL ClassroomUDELAS– UniversidadEspecializada delas AmericasMariaDantas-Whitney,Ph.D.– WesternOregonUniversity- dantasm@wou.edu

Session Overview

• Quick Introductions

• InitialGroupBrainstorming

• Principles ofEffectiveLessonPreparation

• Elements ofaLessonPlan

• LessonPlanningPractice

• Discussion,Questions,Reflections

InitialBrainstormingandDiscussion

• Findapartnerforeachofthetimesandwriteyourpartner’snameintheblankforthattime.

• Whenaskedtogetinpairsforaspecifictime,thepersonwritteninthattime’sblankwillbeyourpartner.

• Youwillrotateandtalktoeachpartnerforaboutthreeminutesaboutthetopicsassigned.

ClockAppointments

Getablanksheetofpaperanddrawabigclockonit

Kaur

Sue

Philip

Thomas

12o’clockpartners

• Threeminutes:• Introduceyourself• Discusswithyourpartnerandtakenotesonkeyideas:

GeneralConsiderationsWhatconsiderationsdoyoukeepin

mindwhenplanningalesson?

6o’clockpartners

• Threeminutes:• Introduceyourself• Discusswithyourpartnerandtakenotesonkeyideas:

SuccessfulPlansWhataretheelementsofasuccessfullessonplan?

3o’clockpartners

• Threeminutes:• Introduceyourself• Discusswithyourpartnerandtakenotesonkeyideas:

ChallengesWhatarethemainchallengesyouhaverelatedtolessonplanning?

9 o’clockpartners

• Threeminutes:• Introduceyourself• Discusswithyourpartnerandtakenotesonkeyideas:

QuestionsWhataresomequestionsyouhaverelatedtodesigninginstructionand

effectiveplanning?

Debriefing

EffectivePlanningfortheEFLClassroom• GeneralConsiderations

• SuccessfulPlans

• Challenges

• Questions

Principles of Effective Preparation

clearlessonobjectives

transparentexpectationsandassessments

appropriatesequencingof

activitiesactivelearning

student-centered

environment

Four Zones of Teaching and Learning(Gibbons, 2015)

Learning/EngagementZone

Frustration/AnxietyZone

ComfortZone

BoredomZone

“Constructionzone”“Zoneofproximaldevelopment”

HighChallenge

LowSupportHighSupport

LowChallenge

ScaffoldingTemporary help for learners to complete a task until they can perform independently

Takeintoconsiderationstudents’…• backgroundexperiences• contentknowledge• languageproficiencylevels

Gradualreleaseofresponsibility• Modeling,grouppractice,

independentwork

Hands-onactivitiesandcooperativelearning

• Teacher-centeredpresentationsinterspersedw/smallgrouptasks(e.g.,think,pair,share)

• Preview/review

• Learningcenters,labs,simulations

Writtenandoralinstructions

Visuals,gesturesandlinguisticsupports• Graphicorganizers,

pictures,sketches,manipulatives,TPR

• Sentenceframes,starters,transitionwords

• Primarylanguagesupportandbiliteracy development(e.g.,useofcognates)

Guardedvocabulary• Contextualdefinitionsof

wordsandconcepts• Repetition• Shortersentencesand

simplersyntax• Morepauses• Vocabcharts,wordswalls

Monitor,assess,andadjust

Gradual Release of Responsibility

Modeling

https://www.mheonline.com/_treasures/pdf/douglas_fisher.pdf

VideoI Do, We Do, You Do -- Scaffolding Reading

• Asyouwatch,takenotesonthefollowingthemes:

clearlessonobjectivestransparent

expectationsandassessments

appropriatesequencingof

activitiesactivelearning

student-centered

environment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gleNo8dqHb8

Key Features of Effective Instruction

• Clearobjectivesthataremeasurable• Appropriateandchallengingmaterial• Activationofbackgroundknowledgeandpriorlearning• Clearinput,teaching,andmodeling• Structuredpractice,focusedinteractions(T-sts andsts-sts)• Applicationofnewlearningandtransfertonewsituations• Activestudentengagementandpromotionofautonomy–

studentsdevelopcapacitytoguidetheirownlearning• Periodicreview• Frequentfeedback,assessments,withre-teachingasneeded

Gottlieb&Ernst-Slavit,2014

Designing Lesson Objectives

• DimensionsofLanguage:Analysisoftalk,texts,tasks,andtests

• Languagefunctions (e.g.,describe,compare/contrast,proposition/support)

• Languageforms (e.g.,complexsentences,transitionwords,adjectives)

• Vocabulary

talk(oral– speakingandlistening)

texts(written – readingandwriting)

tasks(interaction,projects,products)

tests(formative andsummativeassessments)

Example of a Lesson Objective

• Studentswillcreateagraphicorganizertosummarize/retellchronologicaleventsinanovelusingpasttenseverbsandadverbialsoftime

languagefunctions languageforms(sentenceandwordlevels)

talk texts tasks tests/assessments

vocabulary

Three Moments in a Lesson (BDA)

BeforePreparingLearnersAnticipatorySet

Icebreaker

Buildbackgroundknowledge

Relatecontenttostudents’lives

Introducevocabularyandconceptsincontext

DuringInteracting

Teacher-Students:TeachermodelingDirectinstructionifneeded

Student-Student:Grouppractice(closelymonitoredbytheteacher)

AfterExtendingUnderstandingApplynewlygainedknowledgetonovelsituationsoruseittoproblem-solve

Connectideaslearnedtootherideasinpreviouslessonsorintherealworld

Independentprojectsandtasks

FormativeAssessment/Checkfor

Understanding

FormativeAssessment/Checkfor

Understanding

SummativeAssessment

Lesson Plan Template

Group Task

• Gettogetherwithcolleagueswhoteachthesamelevel

• Chooseoneunitfromthetextbookthatyoucurrentlyuse

• Createabriefplanusingthelessonplantemplateprovided• toaccessthelessonplantemplate,goto:

• http://whij.weebly.com/• Clickon“UDELAStraining”and“LessonPlanning”

Discussion, Questions, Reflections

Thank you!!Gracias!