the learning town - teacher's manual
TRANSCRIPT
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THE LEARNING TOWN PROJECT: THE COMPUTER AS MEDIATOR TOCOMPLEMENT THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH FOR KIDS
TEACHERS MANUAL
MRCIA LUIZA DE ABREU
BELO HORIZONTE
2011
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SUMRIO
1 INTRODUCTION2 - BACKGROUND
3 THEORETICAL BASIS
4 - THE LEARNING TOWN
4.1 Target Public4.2 - Objetives
4.2.1 General Objetive
4.2.2 Specific Objectives4.3 - The Website
4.3.1 - Homepage
4.3.2 Message Board
4.3.3 Town Council
4.3.4 Food Centre
4.3.5 Pet Zoo
4.3.6 Cinema (Movie)
4.3.7 School
4.3.8 Contact Page
4.4 Social Networks
4.5 Implementation and Evaluation.
5 TO TEACHERS6 FINAL THOUGHTS
7 - REFERENCES
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To Teachers
It is a great honor to present this manual with information about the project
The Learning Town.
The wish to create a complementary space to textbooks which could bring
together the most innovative Digital Technologies began when I enrolled myself in
the course Especializao em Ensino de Lnguas Mediado por Computador (ELMC).
The course is an activity of the Post graduate Program in Linguistic Studies of the
Faculdade de Letras of UFMG (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais) whose
objectives are to bring-up-to-date and deepen the qualification of teachers in the use
of the Digital Technologies. In the course we had the opportunity to debate the
admission and performance of education in the digital world.
As Paulo Freire, I believe that education needs to be "up to its time" having the
teachers the responsibility to adapt their ways of teaching according to the
characteristics of their public, called "digital natives". It is needed, paraphrasing
Freire, to change the school, making it a new born as current and innovative as the
technology. The project The Learning Town is my contribution to the birth of this new
school.
Welcome!
Mrcia Luiza de Abreu
Project Coordinator
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THE LEARNING TOWN PROJECT: THE COMPUTER AS MEDIATOR TOCOMPLEMENT THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH FOR KIDS
1 INTRODUCTION
The Learning town is a website with the interface of a small town where the
students can Interact with the inhabitants and, while visiting each they will face
specific situations of language use and consequently with the genres of text used in
these situations, providing a deeper, systemic and frequent interaction with the
language in question in this case: English.
2 BACKGROUND
The computer, from the revolution of new technologies, has debuted in
education and even the most radical traditionalists cannot deny that the new
Technologies have brought significant results to the teaching/learning process. The
use of computers and internet by students is increasing considerably and rapidly on
the last years. Kids and computers are almost inseparable nowadays and, with
school aged children, and even younger, spending hours in front of a computer, to
not take advantage of this interaction is literally live in the past. Facing the new
educational reality, in which the old behaviorist model definitively doesnt suit the
questioning and critical profile of todays students, we perceived the benefits of the
usage of new technologies as mediator element in the process of teaching English
for kids.
The project The learning Town originate from the understanding that anything
isnt enough in itself regarding education, better explaining, a curriculum, no matter
how good; a textbook, no matter how embracing; a teacher, no matter how eclectic;
none of these elements is enough by itself. For a global learning, it is necessary that
these elements combine among themselves and to others, to form complete
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students, able to interact in the world, building their knowledge through interaction
within the group where they live.
The experience of working in a bilingual school, where the teaching of English
doesnt follow ESL patterns, but provide the student, since the early years, the
instruction in a system that Harmers & Blanc (2000) call Initial Partial Immersion, in
which both languages L1 & L2 are used as means of instruction since the beginning
of school life, directed us to think of a tool that could be a support to the teacher,
complementing the textbook and reinforcing the curriculum.
The textbook adopted in the above referred school is rich concerning the
development of the four basic abilities in language acquisition:speaking, writing,
reading, listening; besides bringing besides providing interdisciplinary contents
covering the areas of Science, Social Studies e Math. However, we realized that
these contents do not contemplate basic standards at each level. From this
observation, the Project The learning Town was idealized with the objective to create
learning situations that allow students to develop specific competences in each
content according to the series (year), moreover, expanding the circumstances of the
L2, both in the classroom and beyond.
3 THEORETICAL BASIS
The project The learning Town was idealized to be a website aiming the
teaching of English for kids, with a sociointeractionist proposal, and a genre based
approach. In the city ofLearning Town the students Interact with the inhabitants and,
while visiting each place they get in touch with specific situations of language use
and consequently with the genre of texts used in these situations. Thus, we can
affirm that the project is based on the work of the theoretical and methodological of
the Socio-Discursive Interactionism (SDI) which understand the human behavior as
situated actions whose structural and functional properties are, above all, a product
of socialization (BRONCKART, 1997/1999), which is based on social-historical
psychology of Vygotsky (1934/1993) and the propositions of genres presented by
Mikhail Bakhtin (2000).
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To Vygotsky, the main function of language is the social interchange: men
create and use the language systems to communicate with his fellows. Further,
according to Vygotskys thoughts, the psychological processes of an individual
formation take into account the social and historical context in which language
activities occur. The proposal of the SDI relies on this view, since the language
activities have a central attribution. Thus, the activities and language production that
occur in certain social constructions lead to awareness, learning, and consequently,
to human development (MACHADO, 2000).
The language activities are related to various forms of communication used in
a particular social group, which lead us to the study of genre of text. Bakhtin (2000)
Bakhtin (2000) defines speech genres as "relatively stable types of utterances." This
definition is similar to the term genre of text, used by Bronckart (1997/1999),
Schneuwly and Dolz (1996).
In this view of language, its functional and interactive nature gets more
attention than its formal and structural aspect, thus the grammar is no longer the key
point of the teaching/learning process, but only one of the language skills involved in
the production of a genre of text (ABREU-Tardelli, 2007).
Based on the theoretical propositions that guide our teaching practice, all the
interactions in the website begin in a communicative situation that will develop
through the genre that is usually mobilized in that communicative situation, whether
oral or written. The contact with the genre will allow the student to use the language
capacities cited by Dolz & Schneuwly (1996) - capacities of action, discursive and
linguistic-discursive. The interactions, wheter reactive or mutual, take place according
to the necessity of each situation and genre.
4 - THE LEARNING TOWN
4.1 Target Public
The website The Learning Town is directed to the infant public, students in thefirst years of elementary school. Firstly, the project is restricted to the students of a
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certain school in Governador Valadares, MG. Later it is intended to expand its reach
to every educational institution interested in the project, considering that the website
aims to be an ally for the teacher who seeks to improve his/her classes through the
use of the new technologies.
4.2 - Objetives
4.2.1 General Objective
Through the website www.thelearningtown.com we wish to stimulate in the
student, in his early years, the competence to analyze, discuss, select, organize and
apply information through real situations of usage of the English Language, thus
contributing for the improvement of the read, writing, speaking, and listening skills in
the target language.
4.2.2 Specific Objectives
The systematic navigation through the website and the interaction with the
inhabitants ofLearning Town (pedagogical agents) allow the student:
Express in the target language in an increasing level of fluency;
Register his/her adventure in the small town in a daily journal;
Describe situations faced day by day in the small town;
Narrate events in chronological order and with richness of details;
Practice vocabulary and communicative functions with the pedagogicalagents, or with classmates, through chats, forums, wikis, etc;
Discuss and solve, in a collaborative way, simple problems of social matter,
such as finding a family for stray animals.
Besides these objectives, others, more specific, can be incorporated by the
teacher according to the necessity and with the branch of knowledge the teacher
wants to explore. Since the site allows the teacher to assign the student to visit
specific places, the teacher can plan their actions according to his/her goals for a
particular group of students.
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4.3 - The Website
4.3.1 - Homepage
As a website dedicated to
children, The Learning Town has
an interface, though simple in
terms of usability, is rich in visual
incitement. By entering the site the
visitor is greeted with an animated
introduction, the city's mayor
welcomes the visitor inviting
him/her to visit all the facilities in
town. On the homepage, the
ludicity is highlighted with signposts
that appear on various parts of the city, opening up the page by clicking on them.
4.3.2 Message Board
As a real town,
Learning Town has cinema
(movie theater), club, petting
zoo, food centre, School,
library, fun square. In each
place the student/visitor willfind different ways to Interact
building his/her knowledge
through this interaction. At
the end of this visit the
student is invited to leave a
message on the towns message board, highlighting points that he/she learned
during the visit. The message board will be an evaluation tool for the students
spontaneous writing.
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4.3.3 Town Council
The student, when visiting
Learning Town, receives the title
of Towns Citizen being able to
participate in the meeting at the
town-council. This interaction will
allow the student to get in touch
of contents of Social Studies,
and will provide the student to act as a citizen, discussing social themes with his
classmates through forums, and even participate in the decisions of the town.
4.3.4 Food Centre
In the Food Centre the student
will be in touch with all kinds of
subjects related to food. How to
buy food in a grocery store,
supermarket, fast food, or
restaurant; how to make
delicious recipes, how to be
healthy eating the right kind of
food.
4.3.5 Pet Zoo
The petting zoo is a special
place where kids can get in touch
with animals, learn and have fun.
At the Learning Towns petting zoo
this situation is not different. Here
students will find all kinds of
information regarding animals:
their habitats, characteristics, food
habits, survival strategies, etc.
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4.3.6 Cinema (Movie)
This is the space for
videos of all kinds. At the movies
kids can have fun and learn. In this
page the student will watch short
movies and video clips, and will be
redirected to other pages to do
activities related to the content of
the movie.
4.3.7 School
Inside the school the visitors will be redirected to three different pages. If they
go to the Library theyll find lots of good books. Choose one, and after reading it they
will be guided to do some activities related to the books content. If the students
decide to enter the Classroom they will find many interesting activities in all kinds of
subjects. For the teachers theres the Teachers Room where they can find many
Class Plans and all the directions that will help them in their mission.
4.3.8 Contact Page
Finally, theres the contact page, where the visitor can get in touch with
the websites administrators, for questions, doubts, suggestions, and etc.
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4.4 Social Networks
A 2007 research done by the British Council1
showed that students whofelt they were getting enough opportunities in their lives to socialize informally were
also successful in their learning. Its important to understand that successful students
combine studying and socializing, and that combining the two things helps them to be
successful at both. With this in mind the website The Learning Town has pages on
the main social networks such as Facebook, Orkutand Twitterand the pages can be
reached by clicking on the icons at the bottom of the homepage. These social
networks will be used as teaching tools to stimulate theinteraction among the students and teachers.
Besides, the students will also use a wiki page in order to improve their
writing skills in a collaborative manner.
4.5 Implementation and Evaluation.
As previously mentioned, the website presents itself as a tool for teacher
support, complementing the didactic material and deepening the curriculum. Thus,
the teacher must include in his/her Lesson plan the activities the student must
accomplish in the learning environment. The website has a special page where the
teacher will find guidelines for the use of the website, lesson plans and tips for
evaluation. Since the website is directed to children, it wasnt idealized for total
distance education, but a model that combines classroom activities with the distance
activities. The project is flexible concerning its utilization, allowing the teacher to act
as a tour guide, directing the student during his visit to the town.
Based on the theoretical propositions that guide the project The Learning
Town, the student will be evaluated throughout the process. By participating in the
project, for example, each student is asked to write a daily journal as a basis for the
evaluation of their progress in written language. In the restricted area (Teachers
1http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/teaching-learning-through-social-networks
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Room), the teacher will find lesson plans with suggestions for assessment in
accordance with the objectives of each activity.
The following concept map brings the dynamic structure of the Project and its
association with the theoretical concepts in which the Project is based.
5 TO TEACHERS
This Project has been designed to help teachers, by using the new
technologies, to reach better results with their students. The website must be used as
a complement for the class instruction and the activities can be assigned as
homework or class work, in groups or in individual basis.
The website has a friendly interface and all the activities are integrated. The
student is redirected to the next page as needed. Once in a while an avatar will
remind the student about the safety rules for the internet, but you teacher, must keep
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your students aware of the dangers they can face if they do not follow the rules for a
safe navigation on the web.
In each page theres a menu with the name of the activity, the subjects it
embraces, and the objectives that must be accomplished.
Date Pictures Subject Files:
12/7/2011
The Water Cycle
Subject: Science - Earth Science
Students will be able to:*understand that water travels in a cycle.
*understand the parts of the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
*Theyll also get in touch with the concept of water storage and transpiration.
10/7/2011
Understanding FossilsSchool subject:
Science: Earth Science - Students know that fossils provide evidence about the plants and animalsthat lived long ago and that scientists learn about the past history of Earth by studying fossils.
Students will be able to define fossil.
Students will be able to explain the job of a paleontologist.Students will be able to list and describe the four types of fossils.
Students will better understand how fossils are formed.
6 FINAL THOUGHTS
The use of computers and the Internet by students is increasingly common
and begins earlier year by year. Children are learning English through a variety of
devices and games such as DSs, PSPs, and akin, and it's important that schools
walk in that way instead of continue to use "obsolete" technologies as the old
homemade flashcards.
To incorporate the modern Information Technology and its gadgets on school's
curriculum since its first years allows students to take advantage in the race for
literacy, which is increasingly important today. But to be a vehicle of change it is
necessary to have sufficient resources such as well-equipped multimedia
laboratories, digitally literate teachers, and above all, these technologies must be
incorporated to traditional methods of teaching in a symbiosis that can increase the
use of computers and internet a broader level than just additional tools in the
teaching / learning, or "fads trainers of a consumer market, losing the opportunity topromote an effective change in teaching" (Seabra 2010).
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7 - REFERENCES
ABREU-TARDELLI, Llia Santos. Elaborao de seqncias didticas: o ensinoe aprendizagem de gneros em lngua inglesa. In: DAMIANOVIC, M.C. (org)Material Didtico: Elaborao, Implementao e Avaliao. 2007
BAKHTIN, Mikhail Mikhailovich. Os gneros do discurso. In: Esttica dacriao verbal. M. E.G. G. Pereira (Trad.). So Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2000.
BRONCKART, Jean-Paul.Atividades de Linguagens, texto e discursos. Por uminteracionismo scio-discursivo. Trad. Anna Rachel Machado e Pricles Cunha. SoPaulo: Educ, 1997/99.
HARMERS, J e BLANC, M. Bilinguality and Bilingualism. Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press, 2000.
MACHADO, Anna Rachel. Uma Experincia de Assessoria Docente e de Elaboraode Material Didtico para o Ensino de Produo de Textos na Universidade. DELTA.,So Paulo, v. 16, n. 1, 2000. Disponvel em:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-44502000000100001
SEABRA, C.Tecnologias na escola. Porto Alegre: Telos Empreendimentos Culturais,2010. Disponvel em: https://www.institutoclaro.org.br/banco_arquivos/Cartilha.pdfAcesso em : maio de 2011
SCHNEUWLY, B; DOLZ J, Gneros orais e escritos na escola. Traduo eOrganizao Roxane Rojo e Gals Sales Cordeiro. Campinas: Mercado das Letras,2004.
VIGOTSKY, L. S. Pensamento e Linguagem. Traduo de Jferson Luiz Camargo.So Paulo: Editora Martins Fontes, 1934/1993.