Finding a spark

Finding a spark

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!”

ObjectivesYou will….• Increase confidence in using ‘sparks’.• Share your own ‘sparks’.• Learn some effective teaching techniques.

What is a spark?• A small piece of information, stimulus or

challenge. (Salmon, 2011)

• Something that promotes a dialogue.• Something to unleash the imagination.• Something which engages and motivates

students to participate and become involved.

• Ex. Short video clips, images, art, music, comics. (The internet is rich with sparks)

Comics and graphic novels

How do you use comics effectively?

• Comic Jigsaw-find the text to match the picture.

• Fill in the text – Generate text based on the picture. Then act it out.

• Fill in the picture- Generate pictures based on the text.

• Put the panels in order – Cut up the panels and Ss have to put them together.

• Create an original comic- Give a theme.

Comic book lesson

Music

How do you use music effectively?

• Speculation- provide the title/pictures. and guess what the song is about.

• Fill in the blanks.• Strips of paper- jigsaw challenge.• Madlibs.• Listen for pre taught vocab- Shot stop!• Use to demonstrate a grammatical pattern,

vocabulary or idioms.• Use for conversation topics-What’s the

message, story or themes.

Music Lesson

Lyrics Jigsaw(Kinetic typography)

Music Review

Music-Emotions

The X Factor

Video

Why use videos in the classroom?

•Brings some life and energy into the classroom.•Makes classes more lively and interesting.•Provides authentic material – Presenting real language in context.•Visuals can motivate students.•They can be chosen to suit the learners environment.

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

Why use images in the classroom?

• “Images speak to us. They give rise to outbursts of emotion, thought, and curiosity. They bring back memories and remind us of the experiences we have had. Image refreshes the parts of the brain that words alone fail to reach.” (Keddie, 2009)

The power of images• The whole learning experience is more

memorable and productive.• Language can be extracted from images.• They can engage, stir up curiosity, provide

inspiration and motivation.

Newspaper images

• What do you see?• Where is it?• What’s happening?• Choose a date. Match story with picture.

Power of images

Graffiti Project

Project Runway

Find a Spark!• When planning your lesson always

consider:• How can this activity be enhanced,

improved, strengthened and become more memorable to my students through incorporating a spark?

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” (Maya Angelou)

Best of luck! Have fun!

e.mail- andywebster79@gmail.comScoop it - http://www.scoop.it/t/esl-sparks

References• Keddie, J. (2009). Images. OUP• Salmon, G. (2011). E-Moderating: The Key to Online Teaching and Learning.

Routledge.