Many environments that fellow teachers have to work in suffer from one and the same illness: there is only one computer in the classroom. If the classroom is exceptionally equipped, there will be a projector, and maybe even Internet!
The problem that arises immediately is how to make use of only one computer? There is not much we can do with a single computer in a group of 30 students, often even many more than that. Having students do elaborate activities on that one computer would be time consuming and rather pointless. The only thing left to do is come up with an interesting idea that can be implemented in a classroom with only one computer.
The activity presented here can be planned for an individual 45/60-minute lesson as part of a speaking practice on the theme of biographies. This makes the activity interesting to literature teachers as well as they can use the biographies of famous authors and assign them to students. In other words, the students would become the author! Furthermore, since the activity is directed at developing learner autonomy, a few suggestions will be made at the end of this activity regarding a basic rationale for learner autonomy.
Title of activity:
Wishful future
Students:
Students:
Upper intermediate, adult, secondary or tertiary education, a class of up to 15 students
Objective (based on the ABCD model):
A: Upper intermediate adult students at the level of secondary or tertiary education
B: prepare their imaginary future biographies
C: by using sticky notes they put on a wall created with Padlet
D: and present their wishful future in front of the entire class in the form of a clearly structured 5-minute speech.
Procedure:
1. Homework prior to class: Students create their own wall using Padlet and put sticky notes on their walls referring to their own wishful future. They can be encouraged to put images, videos or documents on the wall, put them in a particular order if they want to or ignore a chronology if they believe it might be more effective.
2. The activity in the class: Each student comes to the computer in the front, opens their wall on Padlet and tells their peers about their wishful future by means of their sticky notes.
3. Each student is affiliated with another from the group and they do a quick partner/ peer assessment based on Oral presentation rubrics prepared by the teacher on a sheet and distributed at the end of the class.
The rationale for the learner autonomy:
1. Individual preparation at home in accordance with clear instructions provided by the teacher encourages the use of the particular online tool (Padlet) and an independent research of resources on the Internet to find appropriate examples of activities/ roles/ jobs to perform in their wishful future and encouraging creativity as all this is based on make-belief.
2. The partner/ peer assessment based on an outline of points provided in the form of rubrics furthers critical thinking, comparison of achievements and proper analysis of performance according to guided instructions.
3. The responsibility for and sense of control over their own performance and achievement is raised while at the same time a sense of objectivity is imposed to evaluate their peers' performance and achievement.
Objective (based on the ABCD model):
A: Upper intermediate adult students at the level of secondary or tertiary education
B: prepare their imaginary future biographies
C: by using sticky notes they put on a wall created with Padlet
D: and present their wishful future in front of the entire class in the form of a clearly structured 5-minute speech.
Procedure:
1. Homework prior to class: Students create their own wall using Padlet and put sticky notes on their walls referring to their own wishful future. They can be encouraged to put images, videos or documents on the wall, put them in a particular order if they want to or ignore a chronology if they believe it might be more effective.
2. The activity in the class: Each student comes to the computer in the front, opens their wall on Padlet and tells their peers about their wishful future by means of their sticky notes.
3. Each student is affiliated with another from the group and they do a quick partner/ peer assessment based on Oral presentation rubrics prepared by the teacher on a sheet and distributed at the end of the class.
The rationale for the learner autonomy:
1. Individual preparation at home in accordance with clear instructions provided by the teacher encourages the use of the particular online tool (Padlet) and an independent research of resources on the Internet to find appropriate examples of activities/ roles/ jobs to perform in their wishful future and encouraging creativity as all this is based on make-belief.
2. The partner/ peer assessment based on an outline of points provided in the form of rubrics furthers critical thinking, comparison of achievements and proper analysis of performance according to guided instructions.
3. The responsibility for and sense of control over their own performance and achievement is raised while at the same time a sense of objectivity is imposed to evaluate their peers' performance and achievement.
I hope that the idea presented here will be useful!
