Creativity at the 9th ELTAM-Macedonia International Conference
Aleksandra Popovski Golubovikj, Macedonia
Aleksandra Popovski Golubovikj is a teacher at Private Language School ELITE in Struga, Macedonia. She is interested in travelling, reading and writing. Current professional interests are: reading in L2, teacher training, creativity and materials development. Enjoys working with learners of English of all ages and levels and English language teachers.
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The ELTAM Conference
References
The winning lesson plan Aynur Kaso
Appendicises
The 9th ELTAM International Conference took place in Struga, Macedonia from October 14 to 16, 2016. This year’s conference theme was RE-IMAGINING TEACHING: Rejuvenating and transforming classroom practices and ELTAM decided to include a strand on creativity since creativity can be a crucial element in the process of teaching rejuvenation. All talks and workshops that included the element of creativity were labelled with a small sun. Also, on the last pages of the conference brochure, the participants could find decorated pages for taking notes. It is not something that you usually find in a conference brochure.
If you go through the programme, you will notice that there were a large number of presentations that included creativity as an important factor in rejuvenating and transforming classroom practices. The connection between the conference theme and the creativity strand was more than obvious. In order to rejuvenate, transform our classroom practices we need to bring the creativity back because it is crucial for a successful teaching and learning process. Since ‘creativity (rather like its cousin, Critical Thinking) is anathema to systems based on control’ (Maley, 2014: 167) it is important to demonstrate to EFL teachers that creativity can help them break free from the constraints of educational policy-making institutions.
Another element that added to the conference’s focus on creativity was a creative lesson plan contest sponsored by Express Publishing UK. All conference participants were given a chance to write a lesson plans based on one of the Express Publishing titles but with a creative twist. The winner of the contest was a student of English language and literature from the Faculty of Philology, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje – Aynur Kaso.
The combination of her age, enthusiasm and fresh ideas led to a lesson plan that was creative, engaging and raised awareness of the importance of social activism among young learners of English.
The conference achieved its goal by bringing together teachers from different countries and teaching contexts to discuss ways that can help us rejuvenate our teaching practices and make us feel more alive. I am looking forward to ELTAM 2018!
Maley, A. (2013) ‘Creative approaches to materials writing’, in Tomlinson, B. (ed.) (2013) Developing Materials for Language Teaching, 2nd edition, London: Bloomsbury.
Aynur Kaso is a student of English Language and Literature at SS. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Macedonia
School: Faculty of Philology “BlažeKoneski” - Skopje
Year: 9th grade
Students: ~20
Date: 12 October 2016
Lesson time: 40 mins.
Teacher: Aynur Kaso
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Lesson Aim:Using cultural awareness as a tool for enhancing speaking abilities of the students. Personalizing the topic would elevate the interest among the students for joining the conversation
Objectives: By the end of the lesson, the students will have enriched their vocabulary, and will feel more comfortable to use more complex structures and collocations.
Assumptions: I am assuming that the students are familiar with the majority of the words, and are ready to build on their knowledge.
Anticipated problems: There is a possibility that the students will not like the topic, and would be reluctant to do the exercises. That is why I have a plan B: I would go with reading and listening exercises in the book.
Topic: Vocabulary building, arguments “for and against”, social activism
Language skills:Speaking – communicative purpose
Language system: Vocabulary
Source of material: Course book: Blockbuster 3 p. 45, some realia (whistle, small banner, signs saying NO! – symbols for activists, a tie, a hat, a pocket watch – symbols for rich class people), handouts
Lesson procedure:
| Stages: |
Description |
Time |
Interaction |
| Introductory stage
Lead-in
|
T wears a T-shirt featuring a T-rex caricature. T starts a discussion by first asking whether they know the name of the animal, whether is it a mammal, and does it still exist. T tries to elicit the word extinct from the pupils. |
10 mins. |
Whole-class
Balanced TTT and STT
|
Brainstorming
Reading and comprehension
Inductive
|
T writes “endangered species” on the board. Explains what it means and asks the students to come up with animals that face this danger.
(possible answers: tiger, panda, elephant, rhino)
T takes the focus on the first activity. Teaching the word habitat and naming some animals that would live in the three habitats illustrated in the activity.
Afterwards, pupils would categorize the animals in the second activity according to their natural habitat.
|
10 mins. |
Whole –class
STT
|
| Practice |
T divides the students in three groups. One group would be activists, the other business people and the third group jury. The classroom is rearranged to look like a court setting.
The issue is that the home builders want to build a residential are on a marshland, and the activists are protesting because it is the natural habitat of a frog named “Pelophylaxridibundus” (it is the Latin name of the marsh frog, and it’s a catchy name).
The activists and the home builders have 5 minutes to prepare for some already prepared questions (see appendix 1).
In the meantime, the jury will be given a short text about a real organization Save the Frogs and an imaginary residential home building company (see appendix 2).
Furthermore, the pupils from both groups should defend their arguments in front of the Jury. Afterwards, they will have the chance to ask the other group two to three questions.
When the two groups are finished, every pupil from the jury (even number) will vote for one group and state their reason with one sentence.
|
20 mins. |
Group work
Individual work
STT
Individual work
Whole –class
group work
Individual work
|
| Homework assignment |
Find an animal that you think is facing the danger of extinction. Tell us what we can do to save it.
(e.g. Joining an organization like Save the Frogs! And actively participating in some social actions.)
|
2-3 mins. |
Individual work |
| For Save the Frogs activists: | For home builders: |
| 1. Why is it important to save the frogs? | 1. Why is it important to build the houses in the marshland? |
| 2. Are frogs more important than good houses for people? | 2. Are these houses more important than the frogs? |
| 3. How will you act if the jury decides that the home builders are right? | 3. How will you act if the jury decides that the activists are right? |
| SAVE THE FROGS! is the world's most effective amphibian conservation organization.Our mission is to protect amphibian populations and to promote a society that respects and appreciates nature and wildlife.SAVE THE FROGS! has held protests at government agencies to protect wetlands;Please support our efforts by donating, volunteering, becoming a member, spreading the word and purchasing some eco-friendly merchandise from our Gift Center. Together we can SAVE THE FROGS! |
| Home Build’s report showing that we can build the residential constructions is designed to serve as a proof for our economic, environmental and social sustainability practices. The report shows some of the key plans and projects the Company has started which we believe are representative of our commitment to adapting sustainable business practices. We always care about the environmental factors, and wish to create the perfect homes for people in the best parts of the nature. For us, the customer satisfaction is the most important thing. |
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