Vocabulary/dictionary

Students have started preparing vocabulary to create a dictionary.

ESP Dictionary

Student created dictionary of tools used by Electricians.

Spelling dictation

This was a spelling dictation of ten commonly used words.  Students wrote them and then used dictionaries to find the correct spelling.  

Time Exercises

This is a pic of a time exercise.  Students asked each other the time and wrote their answers.  Students also wrote sentences for questions about time as indicated by questions 1-7.

Week 4 A2+ West London conversation: Do you want to go for dinner??

Week 4 A2+ West London conversation: Do you want to go for dinner??

Students did their first role play conversation on inviting and discussing what food and restaurant to go to eat at together. Students had to include:

1. 3 different restaurants 

2. Different types of food 

3. Opening and closing times

4. An invitation 

Students were nervous but produced some very good conversations. 

We discussed what was important when presenting body language speaking loud and clear and for other students to show respect and not laugh at each other. Well done class!!

Portfolio Organization - Major Dictionary Writing

The students worked on their major of study and words related to their past study at TVTC.  Each student looked into their majors and researched words based on their particular study and used them in definition and in sentences. Most majors ranged in engineering and production. 

Picture Dictionary Week 4 (Weather) - Los Angeles

       This is one of our student's picture dictionaries from this week. I asked them all to bring pictures to represent the ten words related to weather. We started the assignment in class and they became more familiar with the vocabulary from the lessons during the week. Almost all of the students were able finish this assignment at home by printing the appropriate pictures. I think this student did a pretty good job finding accurate pictures and printing them in color.

Present simple, present progressive

Students practised using the simple present and present progressive tenses.

Students worked in groups to choose the appropriate tense according to the time clause coming to the white board to complete and correct sentences.

Inside my House...

Students had to select 5 words and write a sentence to describe the function of that thing.

Week 4 A2 East London Mr Imran conversation: Doctor and patient

Week 4 A2 East London conversation: Doctor and patient

Students made a conversation between a doctor and patient. This conversation had to include:

1. Advice and Suggestions

2. Requests - can could and may 

3. Containers - box bottle pack etc 

Students then had to memorise and role play their conversation. One student as the doctor and one as the patient. Very good effort from the class!!

This blog is four years old.

 First Saudi school in the 40s in Alasa Saudi Arabia 

"It takes a village to raise a child."

African saying

We started this curriculum blog back in 2012. It was an extension of the curriculum kitchen room  we started in the program. Whats new is that in 2015 all the teachers in the site become contributors. They started sharing some of their students work and curriculum activities online. Through this blog we archive and label their work and try to reflect and  develop as a team, 

We are experimenting with the idea and look for ways to develop. It took some time  to get everybody on board, and we hope that we can collaborate more. Blogging is an open, practical , and free online tool for sharing and reflecting and documenting work. Our main goal is  to built an online collaborative community of teachers. 

We do not have all the answers to the curriculum challenge, but if we work together and crowd-source we can learn and do so much.  We develop  as we move along . In 2016 we plan to add new members to the blog and add some new ideas. 

We also are working on developing our students program blog , and  a blog for ESP for electricians. and another one for Hospitality and Tourism.   Learning is a journey and you are welcomed to join us. We thank all the teachers and educators who contributed and supported and encouraged us along the way.

Week 3 A2+ West London ESP Transportation

Week 3 A2+ West London ESP Transportation

Students had to list all the different transportation methods they could think of and then choose one to make a poster with information about it. The information they needed to include were a labelled picture, a paragraph on its history, the good and bad points about using it and if it is available in Saudi Arabia. 

Week 3 A2 Biography of a famous person Mr Imran

Week 3 A2 Biography of a famous person Mr Imran

Students had a discussion about Mohammed Ali and talked about whether he was famous or not? And what he did that made him famous? Students wrote about someone they thought is famous and what made them famous.

Week 4 A2 East London Containers

Students were split into two teams and had to label and name each container. Students then discussed what other items/products in the home are used in each container. 

As the topic of the week is illnesses we then discussed what medicines are used with each container.

The power of crowdsourcing and social media

 An inspirational story from India. Using only Facebook and whats App an Indian lady was able to collaborate to make the biggest crochet blanket in the world. It took one year to produce.

2000 participates ( all Indian ladies ) living in more than 10 different countries around the world. They made over 8000 crochet pieces, and all the pieces were shipped to India and joined together to make the blanket. When all the pieces were stitched together, It covered three times the size of a football field. The blanket then was donated to the poor and needy of India.

This is a good example of the power of social media if used productively. What I also like about the story is than the Indian lady knew that she can not do it alone, add to that she had a full time job and crochet was just a hobby.  She was able to turn here hobby to use and create a cause for the project. It was an act of charity , creativity and great crowdsourcing 

When I think about curriculum development I always think about the concept of getting the pieces together and that we need to work online to achieve it. This crochet story really brings the idea home for me.  

ESP - Term 1 week 1 meeting 1

This week we discussed ESP. These are some of the suggestions baring in mind the level of students and time allocated for ESP :

• focusing on ESP as a learning process and not as a final product.
• engaging students in the ESP learning process by asking about their needs and wants
• helping students be aware of their own abilities and potential
• training students to use different strategies to help them with ESP in general. These strategies, students  can continue developing after the course
• practice using mind-maps
• learning to classify words using grids and drawings and shapes
• students create ESP flash cards in their major ( term  1 - 2 -3 )
• preparing a three minute presentation in their major  ( term  3 )
• preparing a two minute demonstration in their major ( term 2 )
• using authentic material  
• students look for online website or blogs in their major
• students prepare their CV  
• students can create a dictionary for ESP using a small notebook . students can add words and pictures and drawings mind-maps about their major
• working in groups or pairs  - students prepare a project for ESP -( timelines - a master mind-map - a notebook ESP dictionary ....)

Please share your suggestions with us on this blog