The reflection on the article

My paper is about the article New Toys for Young Children: Integration of Computer Technology into Early Childhood Education. As there are stil arguments about how to use computers in more effective wayq for developmental benefits, this article is to examine and document how teachers use computer technology in their early childhood classrooms. There are also some questions and answers about the kinds of technology, activities, ways, purposes used in the classroom. The study is a descriptive case study. And the result is that the teachers are eager to integrate computer technology into their curriculum.
In the article it is stated that appropriate use of computers facilitates young children’s development of academic abilities such as oral language, reading and writing. I agree with the statement; as children like computers, it’s easier to expose them to the language. It’s also beneficial for children to recognize numbers and count.
Anybody knows computers are good for children; but the main problem is that there is uncertainty about how to use technology in early childhood setting. It’s recommended to use musical rhythm with actions, recordings. I can get this suggestion in my future classroom because as a teacher I also like music and rhythm. The lesson and music and rhythm can be related at the same time.
In the article it is suggested that technology can be used during the period of preparing a play arena, signs or shapes. It’s easy to prepare different kinds of shapes and signs. There are a lot of samples to choose and decide, in addition they are attractive.
There is a statement that computers should be inside the classroom rather than in a separate computer lab. I don’t totally agree with it; although it’s good to have computers any time needed, it can distract the motivation of the students. They may have problems with concentrating on the lesson.
In the findings part of the article, one of the procedure is that computers are part of the play. I like this idea; the reason is that everyone –especially children- love playing games. When they are motivated and eager to do something, they learn better. Moreover, if the teacher is a facilitator, it will be more helpful for the learners. They will ask questions and the answers will stimulate the children’s thinking.
Finally, in the artşcle it’s explained that the teachers in the analysis establish a certain Schedule to play with computers due to the children’s high demand of playing with the computers. These rules are also well accepted by the children. If there aren’t rules, there can be chaos in the classroom.

The Article

http://www.tojet.net/articles/245.pdf

Supported writing activity

Lesson Plan
Name of the activity: Recipes
Language focus: Writing with pictures and phrases related to preparing meals.
Class: 8th class
Level: Elementary
Target function: To write instructions to the pictures.
Materials required: Worksheets including steps of the meal/drink.
Procedure:
•Teacher asks the students to count from 1 to 5.
•Then, all the same numbers come together and make groups of five people.
•Teacher delivers an envelop to each group.
•All the groups have some pictures related to preparing a meal or drink.
•As they are in jumbled order, first they put them into correct order.
•Ordering helps them to understand what it is about.
•When they have finished ordering, they try to write instructions for the pictures one by one.
•Students may have problems with the vocabulary they are going to use; so teacher can help or ask the students to help each other.
•All the groups finish writing instructions.
•At the end of the activity, one student from each group comes to the board and talks about their meals/drinks using the pictures.
•As all the groups have different tasks, students learn five different preparing.

Let’s make banana milkshake!
Ingredients
-2 bananas
-1 cup of milk
-6-8 tbsp ice cream
Instructions
1)Prepare ingredients, you will also need a blender.
2)Slice bananas into the blender cup.
3)Add ice cream and milk.
4)Cover blender cup and turn it on high speed for 3-4 minutes.
5)Pour it into a glass.
6)Enjoy your drink =)

The pictures for the students

Minimal Pairs

Minimal Pairs
Goal: To listen to the words and understand the differences between the words.
Level: Pre-intermediate
Class: 9th class
Time: 30 minutes
Input: Instructions of the teacher, activity sheets, the internet connection for www.hearwho.com
Outcome:
• Students will practice speaking, listening and pronunciation.
• Students will be able to improve their listening skills.
• Students will be aware of the minimal pairs by listening and using.
Teacher roles:
• Teacher watches the students and provides help.
• Teacher is a model for the learners. S/he tries to pronounce the words correctly.
• Teacher encourages the students.
• Teacher controls the sound system for listening.
Learner roles:
• Students are participants.
• They work in pairs.
Anticipated problems:
• Students may have problems with understanding the words. They can say they are the same, but the teacher should show and explain how they are different.
• Students may be confused with numbers; so the teacher should make a revision of the numbers at the beginning of the lesson.
Procedure:
• Deliver the activity sheets to the students.
• Tell them that they are going to listen to the words one by one.
• Ask them to listen to the words carefully.
• Play the words again and again.
• Ask some of the students to repeat.
• Then, tell that you are going to say your phone number using these words.
• Students find the number.
• Then, give the definition of minimal pairs to the students.
• The teacher writes a variety of words containing the target sounds (long and short vowels) on the board. The following is just one possible set:
0- PORT
1- PIT
2- PAT
3- PERT
4- PET
5- POT
6- PUTT
7- PUT
8- PART
9- PEAT
• Here, the only difference in sound is that of the vowel - familiar to anyone who has done minimal pair work. As in these examples, the word should begin and end with the same consonant. 0, 3, 8, and 9, are long vowels and the rest are short.
• Model each word and individal repetition follows. The vowel sound can be isolated and the procedure repeated until you are reasonably sure that there are no major problems.
• Then, tell the students that they are going to hear one of the words and must write the number which corresponds to the word they hear. What the students have written is then checked and compared.
• This automatically leads into a discussion of what they heard and what sounds they are confusing. If student X heard1 when you said 9, they are confusing the short vowel / I / with the long vowel / i: /. Give feedback and the sounds may then be modelled again and practised.
• Two or three words are then presented together and the procedure repeated. Tell the class they are going to hear seven words and that the numbers correspond to a telephone number.
• Tell the students that they are going to work in pairs.
• Deliver the words and ask , "What's my number?".
• They all use some words and try to find the phone numbers.



List of minimal pairs.

1) lit - light read - red sing - sang
2) bed - bad saw - sought boot - boat
3) soot - suit but - boot why - way
4) know - now wreath - wreathe leak - lick
5) look - luck sock - suck vest - vast
6) cod - card dug - dog thirst - first
7) fair - fear pay - bay read - lead
8) need - mead zoo - sue near - ne'er
9) catch - cash azure - assure jet - chet
0) leige - lease wistle - thistle beige - bays


The link for the activity:
http://www.hearwho.com/conversions/2011115&85&108&32&143&114420AM.MP3

Vocabulary teaching

Age: 10-12
Aim: To teach the colours by using a story and pictures.

Here is the link:

http://storybird.com/books/the-colours-of-the-life/?token=636apw

Listening Activity

The lesson plan for teachers:

Listening activity
Name of the activity: Where are you from?
Language focus: Countries and the question “Where are you from?”
Class: 7th class
Level: Elementary
Target function: To understand the details of a conversation.
Materials required: Worhsheets, a map, a CD player, a recorded conversation.

Procedure:
Pre-listening
• Teacher sticks a world map on the board and asks the students to show some of the countries.
• Teacher puts some needles on the names of 2 countries and asks students to think about people meeting from different places.
• Teacher asks a few pairs to come to the board and pretend as they see each other for the first time. What would they say?

While-listening
• Teacher wants the learners to listen to the conversation between two people, and focus on general meaning.
• Before the second listening, teacher delivers the worksheet of cloze test. The students listen to the conversation again and complete the paragraph.
• Teacher delivers the worksheet of multiple questions.
• For the last listening, teacher asks them to check the answers.

Post-listening
• Teacher asks one-two of the students to talk about their meetings for the first time.
• A few students introduce themselves to other people in the class using the conversation as a model.


The Script for Teachers
Tom: Hi. I don't think we've met. My name's Tom.
Jenny: Hi, Tom. Nice to meet you. My name is Juanita, but everybody calls me Jenny.
Tom: Nice to meet you, Jenny. So, where are you from?
Jenny: Well, originally I'm from Argentina, but we moved to the United States when I was about five years old. My parents now live in Chile. That's where they first met. How about you, Tom?
Tom: I was born in Fresno, California, and we lived there until I was seven. Then, since my father worked for the military, we moved all over the place.
Jenny: Oh yeah? Where are some of the places you've lived?
Tom: Mostly, we were overseas. We spent a total of ten years in Korea, Germany, and Okinawa, Japan. We were transferred back to the States three years ago, but I think my parents would have liked to live overseas for at least 20 more years.
Jenny: Wow. It sounds like you've had an interesting life. So, what do you do now?
Tom: I'm a student at Purdue University.
Jenny: Oh really? What are you studying?
Tom: I'm majoring in psychology. How about you? What do you do?
Jenny: Well, I'm working as a sales representative for Vega Computers downtown.
Tom: No kidding! My brother works there too.


Listening Activity Worksheets for Learners

Complete the paragraph according to the conversation.

1) Tom: Hi. I don't (1) we've met. My name's Tom.
Jenny: Hi, Tom. Nice to meet you. My name is Juanita, but (2) calls me Jenny.
Tom: Nice to meet you, Jenny. Where are you from?
Jenny: Well, originally I'm from Argentina, but we (3) to the United States when I was about five years old. My parents now (4) in Chile. That's were they first met. How about you, Tom?
Tom: I was born in Fresno, California, and we lived there until I was seven. Then, (5) my father worked for the military, we moved all over the place.

Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer.

1. What is the woman's name?
A. Julie
B. Jenny
C. Jane

2. Where is the woman from originally?
A. Argentina
B. the United States
C. Chile

3. About how old was the man when he returned to the United States?
A. 7 years old
B. 10 years old
C. 17 years old

4. What is the man studying?
A. physics
B. biology
C. psychology

5. What is the woman's job?
A. a sales representative
B. a computer programmer
C. a receptionist