Aug 14, 2018

The Common Sense Education Facebook group

Following my subscription to the Common Sense Education website, I have just been accepted into the Common Sense Education Facebook group. I find it so good that I have even decided to try my luck and contribute something. 

Aug 11, 2018

Learning activities: "Become a Thinking YouTuber"


English as Foreign Language Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking activities using some Google presentations

Our pupils share a lot of content on Social Media (mostly on "Whatsapp", but also on YouTube). As teachers of English, we can make them aware to post wisely and help them improve their English. The activities attached here may help us do so.

It is common knowledge that YouTube has become the platform where many teenagers become celebrities. Teens spend more time watching YouTube videos than TV, so most are passive watchers, but some are active creators. We can engage them to learn English creatively by taking up the topic of posting on YoutTube.

While helping every one of our pupils become celebrities is an unrealistic goal (and perhaps not a wise one), it is realistic to assume that creating their own Youtube channel can benefit them in many ways:  they can upload their own videos in English and become more proficient in both English and Digital Technologies. The following Google Presentations are one way I  will try to do so this year with 10th, 11th and 12th-grade pupils at The Six-Year Kugel High School in Holon, Israel.



The first Google presentation is meant to raise pupils' awareness that it is important to think before they post (wherever they do so). The content is based on a Common Sense Education and Flocabulary video (I wish to stress that I have not made an unauthorized copy that would infringe copyright.) - Link to the "Think Before You Post" Google Presentation


"Becoming a Thinking Youtuber" is the second Google Presentation of the series aimed at both introducing “Youtube Creators [Creator Academy]” to EFL learners. While some the contents have been adapted from the Youtube Creators channel, I have also adapted activities suggested in the book "Video in Action". Link to the "Becoming a Thinking Youtuber" Google Presentation.

"Subscribers" is the third in the series and continues the work done on the previous two presentations. While many of the activities are guided ones, there is much room for creative pupils' input (check, for instance, the "It's your turn" slide. Link to the Subscribers Google Presentation. 

"Why branding matters" is the last of the series (at least, so far). It follows the same pattern as the other presentations. Link to the Why branding matters Google Presentation.

Note: There is one more lesson on the Youtube Creators channel devoted to Copyright. Since it is important that those of our pupils who do want to become YouTubers learn how to do so well, we have to suggest they take the free Youtube Creators course. It will teach them the subject and help them to learn English. We Israelis like to have two for the price of one, don't we?

This Common Sense Education document will, I hope, help me get my pupils to work in groups better

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Aug 9, 2018

Channel Trailer

I have finally created my YouTube Channel Trailer and customized the Channel. It was high time I did it, indeed!



Aug 5, 2018

Fortune Blue

At The Six-Year Kugel High School in Holon, we teachers of English will be using Fortune, an excellent product that will enable us to teach English through drama. We have purchased the learning materials created by Chasing Time English and will be adding some more of own own making. (Learn more about the series).
The following is one addition I have made using H5P (Learn about H5P)


Play this Wheel game (Link).
1. Would you say the emotion (s) you come up with describe how any of the characters feels?
Check all the "emotion words" on the Wheel.
Which adjectives would describe Jim?
Which would you use to describe Daniel?
Which ones may be used to describe Jennie?