Empowering StudentsEmpowering Students

Nikolina TsvetkovaNikolina Tsvetkova

Teacher trainer & course book Teacher trainer & course book authorauthor

Empower, independence, Empower, independence, learnerlearner

Teaching a language is about giving learners Teaching a language is about giving learners the power to uncover the mysteries of this the power to uncover the mysteries of this language…language…

Teaching a language is about equipping Teaching a language is about equipping learners with skills and knowledge they will learners with skills and knowledge they will be able to apply in other subjects and other be able to apply in other subjects and other situations… situations…

Teaching a language is about helping Teaching a language is about helping learners to become independent of their learners to become independent of their teacher in a way that will allow them to use teacher in a way that will allow them to use this language in new contexts and to new this language in new contexts and to new learning and life purposes…learning and life purposes…

Reflection questionsReflection questions

Are teachers able to bridge the Are teachers able to bridge the allegedly ever-widening gap between allegedly ever-widening gap between their students as digital natives and their students as digital natives and themselves as digital aliens? In a way themselves as digital aliens? In a way that goes well beyond the that goes well beyond the classroom? classroom?

Can ‘regular’ course book material Can ‘regular’ course book material stimulate independent language stimulate independent language learning?learning?

The Digital Natives The Digital Natives

Digital Natives are used to receiving Digital Natives are used to receiving information really information really fastfast. They like parallel . They like parallel process and process and multi-taskmulti-task. They prefer their . They prefer their graphicsgraphics before before their text rather than the their text rather than the opposite. They prefer opposite. They prefer randomrandom accessaccess (like hypertext). They function best when (like hypertext). They function best when networkednetworked. They thrive on . They thrive on instant instant gratificationgratification and and frequent rewardsfrequent rewards. . They prefer They prefer gamesgames to “serious” work. to “serious” work. (Does any of this sound familiar?)(Does any of this sound familiar?)

Marc Prensky Marc Prensky (2001)(2001)

The Digital Immigrants The Digital Immigrants (Aliens)(Aliens)

These skills are almost totally foreign to the These skills are almost totally foreign to the Immigrants, who themselves learned – and so Immigrants, who themselves learned – and so choose to teach – slowly, step-by-step, one thing choose to teach – slowly, step-by-step, one thing at a time, individually, and above all, seriously. at a time, individually, and above all, seriously. “My students just don’t _____ like they used to,” “My students just don’t _____ like they used to,” Digital Immigrant educators grouse. I can’t get Digital Immigrant educators grouse. I can’t get them to ____ or to ____. They have no appreciation them to ____ or to ____. They have no appreciation for _____ or _____ . (Fill in the blanks, there are a for _____ or _____ . (Fill in the blanks, there are a wide variety of choices.)wide variety of choices.)

Our Digital Immigrant instructors, who Our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new population that speaks an entirely new language.language.

Marc Prensky Marc Prensky (2001)(2001)

The Teaching ContentThe Teaching Content

““Legacy” content: reading, writing, Legacy” content: reading, writing, arithmetic, logical thinking, arithmetic, logical thinking, understanding the writings and ideas understanding the writings and ideas of the past, etc.of the past, etc.

““Future” content: software, hardware, Future” content: software, hardware, robotics, nanotechnology, genomics, robotics, nanotechnology, genomics, etc. (etc. (it also includes the ethics, it also includes the ethics, politics, sociology, languages and politics, sociology, languages and other things that go with them)other things that go with them)

Marc Prensky Marc Prensky (2001)(2001)

Voices before the ICT Voices before the ICT adventureadventure

Raul Casado Corral, Spain Raul Casado Corral, Spain This will be my first attempt using This will be my first attempt using

the social web with teaching the social web with teaching purposes and I am delighted to purposes and I am delighted to take part in this game. take part in this game. Congratulations to the Arguing Congratulations to the Arguing team, by the way.team, by the way.I teach English as a foreign I teach English as a foreign language and my problem is to language and my problem is to adjust the high number of adjust the high number of students with the limited number students with the limited number of computers. The access to the of computers. The access to the computer room is also another computer room is also another drawback. But among all the drawback. But among all the inconvenients it is my luck of inconvenients it is my luck of experience and my fear to blow it experience and my fear to blow it the worst of all of them.the worst of all of them.However I am determined to start However I am determined to start exploring these tools with exploring these tools with teaching purposes and that's why teaching purposes and that's why I've joined this group of daring I've joined this group of daring teachers.teachers.

Emese SebestyenEmese Sebestyen I have mixes feelings after I have mixes feelings after

completing the completing the tasks/games/quest. I hope my tasks/games/quest. I hope my students will be more flexible students will be more flexible

Hi, everybody. I'm a Slovene High Hi, everybody. I'm a Slovene High school teacher and I've applied school teacher and I've applied for this project to get more for this project to get more experience. I'm also one of those experience. I'm also one of those who are a bit worried about how who are a bit worried about how things are going to work out. I things are going to work out. I have one question for you. How have one question for you. How many students are there per many students are there per teacher (approximately)? teacher (approximately)? be well,be well,Barbara M.Barbara M.

Voices from ‘changed Voices from ‘changed classrooms’classrooms’

Hi Tamas, Hi Tamas, I can tell you that my students seem to be in a I can tell you that my students seem to be in a

dream. They can't keep telling me all the time dream. They can't keep telling me all the time how happy they are with the game. They are how happy they are with the game. They are lovely students always willing to know more lovely students always willing to know more and more. So imagine how excited I am about and more. So imagine how excited I am about it. As for the goals of this game, I can say that it. As for the goals of this game, I can say that the challenge has been achieved. I mean, the the challenge has been achieved. I mean, the technological break has been overcome since technological break has been overcome since they seem to have been working with this all they seem to have been working with this all their lives and, besides, their interest towards their lives and, besides, their interest towards learning English has increased in just two days learning English has increased in just two days playing.playing.

CarmenCarmen

Akrivi AnagnostakisAkrivi AnagnostakisMA English Language TeacherMA English Language Teacher

Dear colleaguesDear colleagues

Thank you very much for the certificate of Thank you very much for the certificate of participation. Me and my students were very participation. Me and my students were very much motivated during the game and having much motivated during the game and having many ideas in our mind, we have already many ideas in our mind, we have already started to implement some of them on a piloting started to implement some of them on a piloting basis as well.basis as well.

Akrivi AnagnostakisAkrivi Anagnostakis

by Ignas Gailiunas - Thursday, 30 April 2009, by Ignas Gailiunas - Thursday, 30 April 2009, 01:45 PM01:45 PM

I believe that EU forum is a good I believe that EU forum is a good thing, i believe that the most effective way of thing, i believe that the most effective way of learning foreign languages is using them, so if learning foreign languages is using them, so if we talk with each other, for example in English, we talk with each other, for example in English, our English language knowledge will increase. our English language knowledge will increase. Thats the way to learn foreign languages!! Lets Thats the way to learn foreign languages!! Lets keep up the good work and socialize with each keep up the good work and socialize with each other!!other!!

Some examples from E4USome examples from E4U

E4U: a course book with a E4U: a course book with a differencedifference

integration of content that is meaningful integration of content that is meaningful and engaging for teenagers (age 14)and engaging for teenagers (age 14)

content that makes optimal use of media content that makes optimal use of media and technology and content that is carefully and technology and content that is carefully sequenced for maximal English language sequenced for maximal English language learninglearning

a contemporary adolescent lifestyle a contemporary adolescent lifestyle approach approach

intelligent, pedagogically solid use of intelligent, pedagogically solid use of popular culture and technology and cutting-popular culture and technology and cutting-edge approaches to English language studyedge approaches to English language study

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

Rangelova, K., Meskill, C., Tsvetkova, N., Metodieva, Rangelova, K., Meskill, C., Tsvetkova, N., Metodieva, M. & D. A. Hill (2009) M. & D. A. Hill (2009)

English For YouEnglish For You Prosveta Prosveta Prensky, M., Prensky, M., Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants,

From From On the Horizon On the Horizon (NCB University Press, Vol. 9 (NCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001) No. 5, October 2001)

Connolly, T.M., Stansfield, M.H., Josephson, J., Connolly, T.M., Stansfield, M.H., Josephson, J., Lazaro, N., Rubio, G., Rodriguez Ortiz, C., Lazaro, N., Rubio, G., Rodriguez Ortiz, C., Tsvetkova, N., Tsvetanova, S. (2008) Tsvetkova, N., Tsvetanova, S. (2008) Arguing For Arguing For Multilingual Motivation In Web 2.0: Using Multilingual Motivation In Web 2.0: Using Alternate Reality Games To Support Language Alternate Reality Games To Support Language Learning, Learning, 2nd European Conference on Games-2nd European Conference on Games-based Learning (ECGBL), 16-17 October 2008, based Learning (ECGBL), 16-17 October 2008, Barcelona, Spain Barcelona, Spain