Brains at school. Knowledge is power! Reference number: 2015-1-PL01-KA219-016735
Newsletter No. 3
ICT TOOLS at school We all use computers. That's the fact that nobody can deny. But is it possible to use it effectively in teaching and learning? Are the websites and web tools useful or is it only a waste of time? In this part of our newsletter you'll find some tools that we find very interesting and creative.
www.canva.com
This part of our newsletter was prepared thanks to this wonderful tool. It's very easy to use and what is the most important thing you can prepare almost every type of document you need. An amazing presentation, diplomas for your students or a nice poster to your classroom is not a problem anymore.
www.quizlet.com It's an interesting tool for those of you who like learnig with flashcards. You can easily prepare a set of English words with their translation, a bunch of dates or a list of the most important chemical substances. You can also add some picture and Ivona will read everything to you. You can also use ready made sets available free.
www.classtools.net At first you can think it's only for teachers. But if you want to impress your classmates or prepare something absolutely great, it's a great source full of buzzworthy ideas to make your lessons interactive. It's also easy to use even if your English is not the best. Let's take a closer look at some tools.
Random Name Picker lets us pick the students who should answer our question or do the given task in a more exciting way. You just need to put the names of your students (you can save the list) and you are ready to try the students' luck.
Crossword Generator is a nice and easy way to create a nice looking crossword with the material that needs to be revised. When the crossword is ready, you can print it in pdf version.
Development of visual perception and artistic creation To perceive is to gain information about the world through our senses . Particularly our eyes transmit to the brain the visual stimuli that here are selected , arranged and rearranged to allow us to understand what we are observing . An important aspect that helps us in this process of identification and recognition concerns the memory , what we already know , what we have already stored from previous visual experiences . Rarely the image that imposes itself in our eyes consists of a single figure placed on a neutral and compact background , the visions are usually much more complex and some details attract our attention more than others, standing out against a background . This means that we are not able to perceive an image as a whole and , at the same time , in its most minimum details . It is like having different actions that are performed at different times . As for the artistic images we should be aware of the difference between seeing , watch, observe and read ( from global view to the analytic view ) .
"Seeing " is not equivalent to a simple registration of shapes , lights and colors , as in a photographic reproduction , but results in the activation of memories , emotions, suggestions that make the very act of seeing a particular form of knowledge , which leads towards a natural internalization and memorization of the subject observed . The artistic activity is to move from the perception to the expression . The sensitivity and vision are learned , are improved and refined by the exercise as when we learn to use a tool or to play a musical instrument. The eyes should be trained to read very special clues that are meaningless to most people . The skills acquired in the vision and in the memory process of storing them play a key role in the creative process and the perception both of the artist and of the user of a work of art . Get in touch with the visual memory in our mind is not a theoretical gesture, but practical . The photo memory resides at the top left of our brain . When we try to recall to our minds a picture or an image in fact we tend to look at the top left . We try to stimulate it , trying to remember something , visualizing it right at the top left of our brain .
Exercise visual memory
1. We can take an image of any kind, observe it for about ten seconds and then put that apart and write as much detail as we can remember. Now we need to repeat the same exercise decreasing the viewing time to increase the difficulty; gradually over time we will always remember multiple items and subsequently even the smallest detail will hit our attention.
2. We can do the same exercise even with a deck of playing cards of any kind. Just pick up a deck of cards and place them in three rows, the precise number is not important, it will be enough to start with twelve; Once placed on a flat surface observe them for a few seconds trying to memorize the precise order; Turn away your eyes after a few seconds and reproduce on a sheet the order in which you remember they are laid. As you progress through the exercise increase the number of cards to remember, varying also the form in which they are arranged.
MODERN STRATEGIES OF INTERPRETING THE LITERARY TEXT Using interactive teaching learning methods in didactic activity helps improve the quality of the instructive educational process, having an activeparticipative character and a real activeformative value upon student's personality. The brain works like a computer, the latter has been designed and modeled after the brain working structure. For a computer to begin operations we must press the ”power” button. If learning is "passive", the "starting " button of our brain is activated. A computer needs to be running the appropriate software to interpret the input and our brain needs to make some connections with anchor ideas already known. When learning is "passive", the brain does not make these connections. A computer retain the information processed only if we press the "save" button. Our brain must test information or explain it to someone else to store it. Teachers flood their students with their own deep and well organized thoughts. Teachers often resort to explanations and demonstrations like "let meshow youhowtodo". Of course, the presentation may have an immediate impression on the brain, but in the absence of exceptional memory, students can not memorize too much for a long period of time. A teacher, no matter how brilliant orator would be,cannot be a substitute for the students brain and therefore cannot do the work that takes place in the mind of each individual. Students themselves must organize what they heard and saw in an orderly and meaningful way. If students do not get the opportunity of discussion, investigation, action and possibly teaching, learning does not take place.
1. THE METHOD OF THE CUBE is used when it is desired to explore a subject / a situation from multiple perspectives – it offers the opportunity to develop skills necessary for a complex and integrative approach. THE STAGES OF THE METHOD: • Make a cube on whose sides note the words: DESCRIBE, COMPARE, ANALYZE, ASSOCIATE, APPLY, ARGUE (or others depending on the resources, not necessarily on all sides of the cube). • Announce the theme / subject in discussion. • Divide the group into six subgroups, each subgroup solving one of the requirements listed on the faces of the cube. • Give the whole group the final form of writing. • The final work form can be carried on board or on the A3 white sheets.
2. THINKING HATS METHOD This method stimulates the participants creativity which is based on interpretation of roles depending on the chosen hat. There are 6 thinking hats, each with a different color: white, red, yellow, green,blue and black. The group members choose their hats and thus will perform a precise role, as they consider is best. The roles can reverse, participants are free to say what they think, but to be consistent with the role they play. The color of the hat is the one that defines the role. White hat • Provides an objective view over the information. • It is neutral. • It is focused on objective facts and clear images. • It defines the objective thinking. Red Hat: • Gives free rein to imagination and feelings. • Provides an emotional perspective on events. • Red can mean anger or rage. • Unlocks emotional states. Black Hat: • Expresses caution, care, warning, judgment. • Provides dark, sad, bleak insight on the situation in question. • It is the perspective of negative, pessimistic thinking.
Yellow hat: • Gives a positive and constructive perspective on the situation. • Yellow symbolizes sunshine, brightness, optimism. • It is the optimistic, constructive thinking on logical basis. Green hat: • Expresses new ideas, stimulating creative thinking. • It is the freshness of green grass, of vegetation, of abundance. • It is the symbol of fertility, production of new , innovative ideas. Blue hat: • Expresses the control of thinking process. • Blue is cold it is the color of the sky above us, allseeing and allknowing. • Oversees and directs the smooth running of the business. • It is the concern to control and organize. Participants must know very well the meaning of each color and represent each hat, thinking from its perspective. Not the hat itself matters, but what it means, what induces each color: blue hat CLARIFIES white hat INFORMS green hat GENERATES NEW IDEAS yellow hat BRINGS BENEFITS black hat IDENTIFIES FAULTS red hat SAYS WHAT IT FEELS ABOUT ...
3. ”THE SEAT OF THE INTERVIEWED " It is a method that fits very well in language lessons, especially after reading the new lesson and explaining new words and new phrases, instead of the questions asked by the teacher. This method can also be used at the end of the lesson, for feedback. In practice, a student sits on a chair in front of the class and will play the role chosen by himself , by the teacher or students.The collegues will play the role of "reporters" and will ask questions about the lesson. It should be addressed questions that need argumentative answers. The questions which have yes or no answers should not be avoided. This method gives students the opportunity to develop ability to ask questions about a given problem.
4. "QUINTET" Quintet is a short poem of five lines which summarize the content of ideas. It is an assessment tool of understanding the text and expression of creativity in students. Writing the quintet requires a reflection based on nuanced understanding of the meaning of the chosen subject. Activity could be individual or in pairs . STRUCTURE: has a title; • The first verse is one key word (noun); • The second line consists of two adjective describing something; • The third line consists of three verbs (usually gerund); • The fourth line consists of four words and expresses opinions, feelings about the matter; • The fifth verse is a word that expresses the essence of the problem.