One example that Debra gave was of listening to her children play a game in the back seat of the car while she was driving and realizing that the game could be turned into an ESL activity very easily. "Seeing the world through ESL eyes" simply means that a teacher can find meaningful activities for their ESL students almost anywhere, and that a little creativity in modifying games and activities that are used in nonESL situations goes a long way to turn things into a great ESL teaching tool.
Debra's activities show that she constantly views the world through ESL eyes. She said herself it's amazing how nearly everything you see and experience can be integrated into your classroom. The way she's adapted various boardgames for her teaching purposes and the example she gave of modeling her "Fortunately, Unfortunately" activity after the children in the backseat were very good examples she told us about in class. Her incorporation of everyday objects like in the narrative game is another example of how nearly anything, even weird objects with no real purpose, can be used in the ESL classroom.
Debra’s activities indicate that life is a big school for any ESL teacher. No more financial excuses. They can proficiently adapt things they use in their homes or maybe they intend to trash out to create a meaningful activity to supplement their lessons. For example the “telling a story” activity was composed of simple things that you might want to get rid of by time. Debra also pointed to something very important, the rewarding power. Teachers might be overwhelmed by the cost of gifts and rewards, but Debra said that simple things that could be found in the dollar store could motivate the students enough to participate in the activities. Moreover, Debra adapted games that have nothing to do with ESL to serve the idea of learning implicitly and without instruction like the case with “the Puzzle”; student have no grammatical or language instruction to follow. However, they needed to produce the language meaningfully in order to communicate with the rest of the group.
There were so many activities that were so simple, but they had a great purpose. To be able to come up with those activities (or spot them, or adapt them,etc..) Debra must really “see the world through ESL eyes,” because she takes whatever she has and makes it into something helpful for ESL students (and fun). She also takes into consideration what they like (and don’t like), for example, whenever she told us about an activity she would always say “they really love this one,” or something like that, and she knew exactly what/when the activity should be used (for example, some activities are good when introducing a new topic, some are good for a quick review, etc..).
The activities Debra showed us how activities that often seem "game-like" and simple actually can be great ESL learning tools because they are engaging and purposeful. The activities all could be adapted to different age and levels and cultures. They were very versatile and could probably be used multiple times for multiple lessons and purposes. Most of the activities utilized all of the language skills as well as sight, sound, touch, etc in order to make the activities most productive. The activities help us see the world through ESL eyes by showing us how all students of different backgrounds and languages can come together to participate and not only practice a grammatical concept, but also practice the concepts in real world simulations.
As everyone has said earlier, seeing the world through ESL eyes entails being able to see how the activities of daily life and ordinary games can be adapted to the ESL classroom. When we as teachers are creative in this respect, it makes the class and language learning more engaging for the students. Also, if we are using the outside world (not merely a textbook or worksheet) to come up with activities, we are more likely to create lessons that involve meaningful communication. It's win-win. Students are more interested in the class, and they are more prepared to use their language outside the classroom. In order to create these kinds of lessons, though, we have to view the world with out students in mind and at times view the world the way they do. What communication tools would be helpful for them? How can we capture real-life situations they might face and bring them into the classroom? How can we take fun and interesting activities and infuse them with meaningful language learning? These are the questions teachers ask when they "see the world through ESL eyes." -Debby Adams
Debra’s activities are interesting for students and very practical in real life. I think learning ESL is an important experience about learning the world and life. Like “fortunately and unfortunately activity”, the story students can make up may happen in our daily life; all we need is to give new rules to tell the story and be creative and imaginary. And the “Picture that activity” is very useful for describing certain objects to others and doing effective meaning negotiation. It reminds that for a language student, we need to learn language not only in textbook or in the classroom but in real situation; for language teachers, we can “invent” our teaching activities from real life.
Debra’s activities helped us see the world through ESL eyes by demonstrating how she has seen life through the filter of an ESL teacher, taking everyday games, props, and icebreakers and using them to help students learn and communicate in English. From recognizing the application of Jeopardy, puzzles, and Tri-Bond to the ESL classroom to observing that the years of the penny could be used to share stories (so creative) to taking an activity like show and tell to make students learn to describe, ask and comprehend questions in the mystery bag game, she has built through the years a large repertoire of activities that allow students to exercise their English in creative, competitive, and cooperative ways.
The activities are simple to understand and keep things communicative and meaningful. Though some of the concepts are simple for a native English speaker to understand an ESL learner may not grasp the concept so to see how things are understood to an ESL learner helps us tweak our activities so that the meaningfulness isn't lost. If we as teachers can understand how our students see the world we can then help them understand that world. Activities help us to teach our students vocabulary, grammar, ways of thinking, writing, listening, and speaking. And making it fun will help them remember some of the vocabulary or other concepts because they are getting practice using it!
The activities illustrated by Debra show us how to "view the world through ESL eyes." What that means is Debra was able to take ordinary objects, games, actions, conversations, and activities from a seemingly ordinary day in the life of a native english speaker and turn it into a classroom activity. She showed us how we can adapt our everyday lives into a successful ESL lesson plan. For example, I don't know how many times I have played 20 questions as a kid, but it's a creative way for students to use their language skills and I would have never thought about using that game in the classroom. Another great example was the bags of random objects where the students would have to make a story using every object, whether they knew what it was or not. This is a classic activity/game that every child has played. As a kid, I would use all sorts of common objects to play with while coming up with a story of some kind to go along with it. What a great language learning exercise that we have all done as kids, but would never think to use it this way. Debra gave many great examples to help us implement authentic and creative language usage within the classroom.
I believe that seeing the world through ESL eyes refers to the way that a good ESL instructor can take essentially any everyday object and use it for the purpose of language teaching. We saw this in all of the activities Debra showed us in class - none of the activities required expensive or unique materials, and all were well within reach for any ESL teacher no matter what resources they have available. To me, what Debra's activities showed us is that we should be able to look around us and notice opportunities for real-world scenarios to be adapted into activities. I really liked the fact that many of her activities built off scenarios or games that English speakers in America actually already participate in, because they seemed like a really good way to incorporate culture into language instruction.
I have to say that I was so impressed by Debra’s teaching ability. So many times I’ve had teachers with a mastery of the subject matter but lacking in an ability to convey that knowledge to the students. So I figure teaching involves knowledge and the ability to teach. Debra has both and her ability seemed powerful like a tornado that picked you up and when it brought you down you were left in awed splendor of the power and capability. Perhaps I’m being over dramatic about it but when she showed us the activities that she prepares for her students you could easily tell that she has dedicated herself to the profession and has spent a great deal of time reflecting on how to be a better teacher. And great part of being an effective teacher is seeing the world through the eyes of her students rather than just a teacher standing and lecturing before them. The activities were very simple but well thought out and executed with purpose and because of that they were extremely effective as teaching elements.
When Debra said this she meant that you have to always be on the lookout for ways to better the way you teach for your students! For example, she came up with many of those games by seeing something like a game in the everyday world and then thinking how to apply it to an Engish learning classroom. Many of the games that she had us play were very simple and didnt seem very costly but they came from simple ideas and being alert, ready for a new way to teach to come along.
Debra's activities showed us that just because we see things as simple on the surface, doesn't necessarily mean that they would be to a non-native speaker of English. We need to realize that games are good tools to teach our students pertinent points about English, but it also speaks volumes about our culture. We need to see things not only as potential grammar points, but perhaps ask ourselves, "gee I wonder if my students would know what this is, or if they could or do use this in their everday lives?" And then try to incorporate whatever it is into the next lesson to make that lesson meaningful and useful for your students.
There are so many activities that Debra has that were not made for ESL usage. But, she adjusted them to see how they can work for the students. As someone who has used some of her tools, I can say that my mind has been blown on how a game for fun or leisure can turn into something impactful for the classroom. For example, I did a conversation club topic of traveling. I went to her for a complementary activity, and she pulled out these little quiz questions on cards that, from a distance, reminded me of Taboo. But she went on to talk about how she rethought it and it helped me see how I can rethink anything and make it a teaching moment.
Many of the activities that Debra used were either adapted from games that she has seen people play, or were made using common items you could find around your house or at a dollar store. It seems like many of these ideas she has simply collected over the years so that now she has a wide array of activities to choose from. If one looks at “the world through ESL eyes,” one could do this same thing; that is, to spot games or common items that people play or use and see how they could be adapted to an ESL classroom.
Through the Debra’s activities I could learn and feel many things about how to teach English interestingly. Actually, as an English teacher it is very difficult developing some not only interesting but also educational activities for students. If students can enjoy the activities and participate in the activities spontaneously, this will reduce students’ anxiety level effectively. One of interesting points among Debra’s activities was that she even used pennies as a material of teaching English. To me this was a significant example of “seeing the world through ESL eyes.” Even though pennies are here and there, I have never thought that is could be used in an interesting activity. Like this, if we see the world through ESL eyes, we can develop some interesting and educational activities creatively.
One example that Debra gave was of listening to her children play a game in the back seat of the car while she was driving and realizing that the game could be turned into an ESL activity very easily. "Seeing the world through ESL eyes" simply means that a teacher can find meaningful activities for their ESL students almost anywhere, and that a little creativity in modifying games and activities that are used in nonESL situations goes a long way to turn things into a great ESL teaching tool.
ReplyDeleteDebra's activities show that she constantly views the world through ESL eyes. She said herself it's amazing how nearly everything you see and experience can be integrated into your classroom. The way she's adapted various boardgames for her teaching purposes and the example she gave of modeling her "Fortunately, Unfortunately" activity after the children in the backseat were very good examples she told us about in class. Her incorporation of everyday objects like in the narrative game is another example of how nearly anything, even weird objects with no real purpose, can be used in the ESL classroom.
ReplyDeleteDebra’s activities indicate that life is a big school for any ESL teacher. No more financial excuses. They can proficiently adapt things they use in their homes or maybe they intend to trash out to create a meaningful activity to supplement their lessons. For example the “telling a story” activity was composed of simple things that you might want to get rid of by time. Debra also pointed to something very important, the rewarding power. Teachers might be overwhelmed by the cost of gifts and rewards, but Debra said that simple things that could be found in the dollar store could motivate the students enough to participate in the activities. Moreover, Debra adapted games that have nothing to do with ESL to serve the idea of learning implicitly and without instruction like the case with “the Puzzle”; student have no grammatical or language instruction to follow. However, they needed to produce the language meaningfully in order to communicate with the rest of the group.
ReplyDeleteThere were so many activities that were so simple, but they had a great purpose. To be able to come up with those activities (or spot them, or adapt them,etc..) Debra must really “see the world through ESL eyes,” because she takes whatever she has and makes it into something helpful for ESL students (and fun). She also takes into consideration what they like (and don’t like), for example, whenever she told us about an activity she would always say “they really love this one,” or something like that, and she knew exactly what/when the activity should be used (for example, some activities are good when introducing a new topic, some are good for a quick review, etc..).
ReplyDeleteThe activities Debra showed us how activities that often seem "game-like" and simple actually can be great ESL learning tools because they are engaging and purposeful. The activities all could be adapted to different age and levels and cultures. They were very versatile and could probably be used multiple times for multiple lessons and purposes. Most of the activities utilized all of the language skills as well as sight, sound, touch, etc in order to make the activities most productive. The activities help us see the world through ESL eyes by showing us how all students of different backgrounds and languages can come together to participate and not only practice a grammatical concept, but also practice the concepts in real world simulations.
ReplyDeleteAs everyone has said earlier, seeing the world through ESL eyes entails being able to see how the activities of daily life and ordinary games can be adapted to the ESL classroom. When we as teachers are creative in this respect, it makes the class and language learning more engaging for the students. Also, if we are using the outside world (not merely a textbook or worksheet) to come up with activities, we are more likely to create lessons that involve meaningful communication. It's win-win. Students are more interested in the class, and they are more prepared to use their language outside the classroom. In order to create these kinds of lessons, though, we have to view the world with out students in mind and at times view the world the way they do. What communication tools would be helpful for them? How can we capture real-life situations they might face and bring them into the classroom? How can we take fun and interesting activities and infuse them with meaningful language learning? These are the questions teachers ask when they "see the world through ESL eyes."
ReplyDelete-Debby Adams
Debra’s activities are interesting for students and very practical in real life. I think learning ESL is an important experience about learning the world and life. Like “fortunately and unfortunately activity”, the story students can make up may happen in our daily life; all we need is to give new rules to tell the story and be creative and imaginary. And the “Picture that activity” is very useful for describing certain objects to others and doing effective meaning negotiation. It reminds that for a language student, we need to learn language not only in textbook or in the classroom but in real situation; for language teachers, we can “invent” our teaching activities from real life.
ReplyDeleteDebra’s activities helped us see the world through ESL eyes by demonstrating how she has seen life through the filter of an ESL teacher, taking everyday games, props, and icebreakers and using them to help students learn and communicate in English. From recognizing the application of Jeopardy, puzzles, and Tri-Bond to the ESL classroom to observing that the years of the penny could be used to share stories (so creative) to taking an activity like show and tell to make students learn to describe, ask and comprehend questions in the mystery bag game, she has built through the years a large repertoire of activities that allow students to exercise their English in creative, competitive, and cooperative ways.
ReplyDeleteThe activities are simple to understand and keep things communicative and meaningful. Though some of the concepts are simple for a native English speaker to understand an ESL learner may not grasp the concept so to see how things are understood to an ESL learner helps us tweak our activities so that the meaningfulness isn't lost. If we as teachers can understand how our students see the world we can then help them understand that world. Activities help us to teach our students vocabulary, grammar, ways of thinking, writing, listening, and speaking. And making it fun will help them remember some of the vocabulary or other concepts because they are getting practice using it!
ReplyDeleteStefani Goode
The activities illustrated by Debra show us how to "view the world through ESL eyes." What that means is Debra was able to take ordinary objects, games, actions, conversations, and activities from a seemingly ordinary day in the life of a native english speaker and turn it into a classroom activity. She showed us how we can adapt our everyday lives into a successful ESL lesson plan. For example, I don't know how many times I have played 20 questions as a kid, but it's a creative way for students to use their language skills and I would have never thought about using that game in the classroom. Another great example was the bags of random objects where the students would have to make a story using every object, whether they knew what it was or not. This is a classic activity/game that every child has played. As a kid, I would use all sorts of common objects to play with while coming up with a story of some kind to go along with it. What a great language learning exercise that we have all done as kids, but would never think to use it this way. Debra gave many great examples to help us implement authentic and creative language usage within the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI believe that seeing the world through ESL eyes refers to the way that a good ESL instructor can take essentially any everyday object and use it for the purpose of language teaching. We saw this in all of the activities Debra showed us in class - none of the activities required expensive or unique materials, and all were well within reach for any ESL teacher no matter what resources they have available. To me, what Debra's activities showed us is that we should be able to look around us and notice opportunities for real-world scenarios to be adapted into activities. I really liked the fact that many of her activities built off scenarios or games that English speakers in America actually already participate in, because they seemed like a really good way to incorporate culture into language instruction.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I was so impressed by Debra’s teaching ability. So many times I’ve had teachers with a mastery of the subject matter but lacking in an ability to convey that knowledge to the students. So I figure teaching involves knowledge and the ability to teach. Debra has both and her ability seemed powerful like a tornado that picked you up and when it brought you down you were left in awed splendor of the power and capability. Perhaps I’m being over dramatic about it but when she showed us the activities that she prepares for her students you could easily tell that she has dedicated herself to the profession and has spent a great deal of time reflecting on how to be a better teacher. And great part of being an effective teacher is seeing the world through the eyes of her students rather than just a teacher standing and lecturing before them. The activities were very simple but well thought out and executed with purpose and because of that they were extremely effective as teaching elements.
ReplyDeleteWhen Debra said this she meant that you have to always be on the lookout for ways to better the way you teach for your students! For example, she came up with many of those games by seeing something like a game in the everyday world and then thinking how to apply it to an Engish learning classroom. Many of the games that she had us play were very simple and didnt seem very costly but they came from simple ideas and being alert, ready for a new way to teach to come along.
ReplyDeleteDebra's activities showed us that just because we see things as simple on the surface, doesn't necessarily mean that they would be to a non-native speaker of English. We need to realize that games are good tools to teach our students pertinent points about English, but it also speaks volumes about our culture. We need to see things not only as potential grammar points, but perhaps ask ourselves, "gee I wonder if my students would know what this is, or if they could or do use this in their everday lives?" And then try to incorporate whatever it is into the next lesson to make that lesson meaningful and useful for your students.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many activities that Debra has that were not made for ESL usage. But, she adjusted them to see how they can work for the students. As someone who has used some of her tools, I can say that my mind has been blown on how a game for fun or leisure can turn into something impactful for the classroom. For example, I did a conversation club topic of traveling. I went to her for a complementary activity, and she pulled out these little quiz questions on cards that, from a distance, reminded me of Taboo. But she went on to talk about how she rethought it and it helped me see how I can rethink anything and make it a teaching moment.
ReplyDeleteMany of the activities that Debra used were either adapted from games that she has seen people play, or were made using common items you could find around your house or at a dollar store. It seems like many of these ideas she has simply collected over the years so that now she has a wide array of activities to choose from. If one looks at “the world through ESL eyes,” one could do this same thing; that is, to spot games or common items that people play or use and see how they could be adapted to an ESL classroom.
ReplyDeleteThrough the Debra’s activities I could learn and feel many things about how to teach English interestingly. Actually, as an English teacher it is very difficult developing some not only interesting but also educational activities for students. If students can enjoy the activities and participate in the activities spontaneously, this will reduce students’ anxiety level effectively. One of interesting points among Debra’s activities was that she even used pennies as a material of teaching English. To me this was a significant example of “seeing the world through ESL eyes.” Even though pennies are here and there, I have never thought that is could be used in an interesting activity. Like this, if we see the world through ESL eyes, we can develop some interesting and educational activities creatively.
ReplyDelete