NON-TRADITIONAL LESSON

Nowadays it is becoming more popular to organize lessons somewhere out of school so that students could experience more. The lessons which take place in different museums, factories, authority buildings can give way more to the students than just simple listening to the teacher giving a lecture at school. Our school students appreciate such occasions and are always willing to learn in a non-traditional environment.

On the 6th of June a group of students together with their class teachers went to the Open-Air Museum of Lithuania located on the picturesque shores of Kaunas  Lagoon in Rumšiškės.  The students got acquainted  with the mode of life, work and traditions of peasants and townspeople of all etnographic regions of Lithuania by visiting both interior and exterior expositions.  In addition, the students had the opportunity to take part in two educational activities: Primary School in 1930 and The Exile and Resistance  movement.  During the first activity our student found out interesting facts about the education system that existed at the mentioned period of time and they even had an opportunity to try their hand writing  using dip pens.  It created a fun leaning environment that kept students motivated. Later,  they were assessed according to the grading system that was used in the 1930s education. 

Another educational activity that attracted students‘ attention and interest  was visiting the Exile and Resistance Movement Exhibition which is a tribute to the tragic period in the Lithuanian history. The exhibition consisted of a pit-house (yurt), a train wagon used to transport deportees, a hideout (bunker) and memorial monuments. What made this activity innovative was that the students listened to the memoirs of an old Lady who was deported from Lithuania to Siberia during the mass deportations of 1941 and spent almost all her life in Yakut Republic.

After those two activities the students led a discussion about the facts they had learned. They thought of questions based on the activities and analysed the given facts about the past. Most importantly the teachers were only observers of the discussion. The students, without even noticing, organised a perfect lesson in which they learned a lot.

Undoubtedly, the trip to Rumšiškės was a step forward in trying to implement innovative approaches to learning and teaching. Our advice for those who still feel unsure if such lessons work would be not to be afraid and try organizing as many non-traditional lessons as possible as it is a huge asset to today’s education.

A new approach to learning economics

The teachers can not only teach the things they know the best but also inspire students to create something which might show them their future career paths. 

One of the innovative ways to teach students to apply the knowledge they gain at school during the theory lessons is to encourage them to participate in different projects.

The students from Vilnius Mykolas Birziska gymnasium took part in the project on economics which aim was to set up a real business, to manage it, to feel its successes and failures. In this project students have improved such skills as financial literacy, entrepreneurship and career education.

During the project students set up their business, collected a starting capital, planned what they would make and sell, then made the product and sold it, carried out the marketing research and finally closed their business. 

The project lasted for about one school year during which students had to complete all the stages of business. During these months students were closely monitored by their teachers who were ready to consult students but it was the students who always took the responsibility for their actions.

Our students set up a business which sold practical things such as dish sponges which have magnets to keep them attached to the sink or protective shoe soles which are attached to the shoes with the help of magnets.

Later the students participated in different Start-ups fairs in which they advertised the products and sold them for real money. After the project all of them claimed that that was the best lesson which they could have at school.

During the project students have learned not only theoretical knowledge how business works but also experienced everything by themselves. Such projects are the best lessons the student can get at school as they teach real life skills which will be necessary and applicable in the future.

Some Ideas on Emotional Intelligence

Nowadays children and teenagers face a lot of challenges. They have to study hard to achieve good results at school. Besides, they have to meet their parents need. Being under constant pressure, students do not know how to deal with their emotions. They start talking back, arguing with parents and teachers, bullying other students. It is high time we started talking about their emotions during the lessons at school. We, teachers and parents, may help them to find a better choice thus improving both students' results and relationships with other peers, teachers and parents.

The teachers from José Luis Lopez Aranguren school in Madrid have tried a list of short videos that may help us in the lessons. After watching these short videos, all we need to do is to ask students the right questions at the right time.

Getting to know our emotions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MC3XuMvsDI

Emotional control: https://www.facebook.com/CDSonrieTuxtla/videos/1888004711431657/

Motivation:

• Overcoming adversity and learning from others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgnyf7bxB94&w=560&h=315
• The importance of attitude in daily life: https://youtu.be/NtyZxqg9Lxw
• Personal motivation: how to get out of our comfort zone. Do you dear to dream? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoVDWdY018w
• Learning to value what we have: https://youtu.be/5Tl_J7QAbbk

Empathy:

• Learning to respect and to value the others for what they are: https://youtu.be/yMgW0NRH9zQ
• Against bullying: https://youtu.be/J90TqolHs9c
• Bullying: what's your role? http://slideplayer.com/slide/3172632/
• Favour the chain. Be in somebody else's shoes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv3LxHBSN3Y&w=560&h=315
• Against bullying. How does the victim feel? https://youtu.be/0V3ielshtKA

Social Skills:

• Solving the conflict: https://youtu.be/LAOICItn3MM
• Teamwork: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvF3jfSWq8A
• Don't lose your perspective: https://youtu.be/7V7MOk0FZrg

Cooking in English

Hi, there!

Teacher Ana is sending best regards to all who enjoy cooking and learning English.

One of the ways to make learning easier and more fun is to ask students not only to learn new words but also use them in practice.

The aim of the following lesson:
Using a variety of words on food, students will be able to give the instructions of the recipe and record it in the process of making food.

Students should be pre-taught the words on food, equipment, grammar structures for giving instructions.

This is a fun activity as it helps students to learn new words, recipes. Not only that, it also provides with the opportunity to learn some skills (flip the omelette, make a film, etc.) and most importantly, it unites people. What else would make us closer if not the food that we have prepared together :)


Please, check the link to see the outcome of the task, which was set by teacher Ana from Jose Luis Lopez Aranguren school in Madrid.

https://vimeo.com/125070878

THE BOOK OF HUMAN RIGHTS 2017

The issue of human rights have been very topical throughout the centuries. Politicians, philosophers or fighters for human rights have been discussing it for years. But can you imagine students publishing the book of human rights? The students from J.L. López Aranguren school worked very hard and prepared a very interesting issue. Here's what they say about their work:

THE BOOK OF HUMAN RIGHTS 2017

Throughout the last academic year, in the subject “Ethical Values” from IES J.L. López Aranguren, we worked on the knowledge and understanding of Human Rights. We learned that these rights must be defended and developed in our laws. Research on the reality of these rights led us to discover the great contemporary ethical problems present in the world and in our lives.
It is a collaborative project, because all students in the subject of Ethical Values have participated in it, from 1st to 4th year. 

Know Human Rights and share the Book of Human Rights.

Click on this link to see how amazing it is! 

https://issuu.com/mediolimon/docs/el_libro_de_los_derechos_humanos_20

Tourist Hunting

Hi, there!
Nowadays when we speak about teaching, we cannot forget that we have to prepare our kids not for tests or final exams but for life. In this blog we are going to present you the skills that can be taught at school and be valuable for students' social life.
The teacher from José Luis López Aranguren school, which is in Fuenlabrada, Madrid, is more than happy to share one activity with our readers. Teacher Juan Manuel Palacios Somoza believes that children need to be educated socially. That is why he asks students to go to the centre of Madrid and find the tourists who would want to be interviewed by schoolchildren. It is a very useful activity for the children as it teaches not only English skills but also other skills, very important in our life. 
You are welcome to use this activity in your lessons.

TOURIST  HUNTING

Aims of this activity:

1. To provide the students a natural context for practising and improving their speaking skills
2. To show the students how practical and real is what they are learning in the English lessons.
3. To  provide more class cohesion

I´ve been doing this activity for a long time. It´s amazing how students perception of the subject changes when they notice they can communicate with foreign people using what they are working in the school English lessons.

This is why it is better to organize this activity at the beginning of the first term. It makes the subject students perception to change and helps to provide more cohesion to the class group.

STEPS TO ORGANIZE IT

Before the excursion

1. The whole group has to work the questions they are going to ask the tourists. There are two exercises in the appendix. After students have practiced the pronunciation and they know the meaning of the questions they have to memorize a list of 30 questions. (appendix 1)
2. Divide the group into smaller groups of 4 or 5 students. Each student of the group has to ask 5 or 6 questions to the tourist. If it is a high level group, questions can be asked by only 2 students.

In the excursion

1. When the students get to the meeting point (Oriente café corner), they are told to start the activity with their group. No more than 5 or 6 students per group.  Bigger groups can frighten the tourists. After greeting the tourists in a very polite way, two students of each group conduct the interview. Lower level students can distribute 5 questions for students in order to help them to participate in this activity.
2. Two students are responsible for recording the interviews.
3. When students are in the place they have to conduct the interviews, they walk around looking for tourists to record as many interviews as they can.

After the excursion

1. Students have to edit the video using the easiest questions and answers to be understood.
2. Students have to transform the second person questions and answers into third person questions and answers in order to make a multiple choice exercise

Example: Where are you from? I´m from London.

                  Where is he/she from?

                   He/she is from      -New York /Liverpool /London.

3. Students watch the videos and underline the right option in the multiple choice exercise their classmates have prepared.

Playing Economics

Nowadays the importance of being economically literate is undeniable. That is why the students are taught the basics of economics at school. We have to agree though that sometimes learning the theory is no fun and does not have the desirable results. The teacher of economics has thought of a good way to present one fun activity to make students understand the basics of trading more easily. The teacher and the students play a game during the lessons of economics. They pretend that they produce a toy and sell it. During the lesson the students learn how to calculate the cost of the production and the profit. You can only imagine how fun it is for the students to see how big their profit would be. 

Toy production

The task:

Step 1: Divide the students into teams-"enterprises". Choose one member of a team who will be responsible for bookkeeping and one team member who will be responsible for the presentation of the toy which has been produced.

During 15-20 minutes your enterprise has to make one toy which will be sold for 5 €. In order to make the toy, you have to use at least 3 items from the list (the list the production resources cost). The toy has to be durable and of good quality. The members of the enterprise have to prepare a short presentation of the product. Calculate the cost of the toy production. (Mark the data in the list provided).

Step 2: The enterprise gives a brief presentation of the product and puts it next to the other products on the table.

Step 3: Every student has 5 € each. They put the money next to the toy they would buy.

Step 4: Calculate the profit of the enterprise. 

The list of the  production resources cost:

Resources	Cost	Used resources for toy production (mark how many units have been used)	The cost of used resources
Workforce  (1 employee )	0,25
Workplace rent	0,70	1 table	0,70
Glue pen	0,30
Colour pen/ marker	0,20
Scissors	0,40
Plastic plate	0,30
Colour paper 1 sheet	0,10
Plastic glass	0,30
Sticky note (small)	0.10
Sticky note (big)	0,20
Drawing pins different 2 pins	0,10
Envelope	0,10
Paper clips 2 paper clips	0,10
Paper napkin	0,10
Sticky tape	0,40
Sponge	0,50
Cotton disks, 2 units	0,10
Pencil	0,10
Toy production cost
PROFIT FOR ONE TOY
GROSS PROFIT