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‘A party in the jungle’ puppet theatre No. 2

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This is my version of the ‘A party in the jungle’ using an empty cereal box.

I made my own small puppet theatre based on the idea of the Halloween one by Kids English Theatre (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZPQMy6cZBQ)

Here’s what I did: I took a box of cereals. I used a green background to convey the idea that it’s a jungle. I cut the figures carefully from the PEAP material (http://rcel.enl.uoa.gr/peap/taksi/kyklos-b/party-jungle?fbclid=IwAR06F3sPtRRn93ZTuoVWyVb47l32MiqLH-QgLUqZNufn2uPlQ7f-UOde04Y#material).

I stuck the image of the elephant and Leo on another piece of paper and added the missing parts as best as I could. I used the PEAP flashcards for Leo (http://rcel.enl.uoa.gr/peap/taksi/kyklos-b/fun-animals?fbclid=IwAR0-n-EXV0RA_J1icO7RtUlMNDSOX3ht0qv_UH8bUrodoExy3aPR1nquew0#material)

Don’t throw away the remaining bits of paper! You can use them in your green background.

Special thanks to my younger daughter, Kate, who was my very patient helper!

Well, hope you find it useful… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bydhWjRH9io&fbclid=IwAR143qf9AgWBPbWoc1un1Qe0n0VfyqO4e56vNdnBruNQyjuc_mp_lq4qigg

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‘A party in the jungle’ puppet theatre No. 1

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I tried to find an engaging and enjoyable way to teach 1st graders the jungle animals and Leo’s birthday… So I went around the house looking for the props and things to help me with my quest! Mind you, my daughters are not that young anymore, so it was more difficult to gather all the stuff I needed (I have left almost all my puppets at school…)

Well, OK, the parrot is not that much of a parrot, the yo-yo is a spinning wheel, the banana is a plastic corn and my zebra is yellow and blue (!!!) but I managed to get the meaning through! It was fun for the kids, who asked for a second and a third time! The cardboard theatre is something I had from a series of Greek fairy tales with puppets on which I added ‘the African jungle’ banner. I guess it’s not that difficult to make.

I’m sending you my video in case anyone finds it helpful !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkMKZMVcneA

This is the ‘performance’ on WeBex!

Halloween Puppet Theatre

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After watching this video  https://www.facebook.com/1859633737640612/posts/2783918198545490/ 

 I made my own version of the Halloween puppet theatre with ideas from 

https://mommymadethat.com/halloween-puppets-free…/… 

for the puppets.

Then I saw that there was a PDF

https://www.kidsenglishtheatre.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/02a-Halloween-Theatre.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3hizL7jb1JC7GONzmrlXbaZl9R4d78GnpIk_ZUYRJr267parBbXB8TinM

 for everything…Pfff. But it was great fun!

I think I’ll have kids in each class make their own versions, too!

This is how I made it:

Some students soon got the idea and created their own (without any help from me!)

Have a look:

 

 

Shadow puppet theatre

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‘Homemade productions’ presents: Shadow Puppet theatre!

It was something I long wished to make, partly because I adore puppets and partly because of all the excitement. In 2018 I attended a talk in TESOL Macedonia Thrace by Tatjana Jurišić (from Serbia) on the benefits of using shadow puppets in ELT: communicational and organisational problem-solving skills, collaboration, creativity, all present in the art and craft of creating and bringing shadows to life!

So I used a Styrofoam frame (probably from a refrigerator!!! – Don’t they say that teachers keep all sorts of unnecessary things, cardboard boxes, egg cases, you name it, for future use?) and set out to make my own shadow puppet theatre as I had it in my mind.

Turned out that I could do it in a much easier fashion with a cardboard box… (watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBwLs2lyWgU )

I chose the story of Polyphemus the Cyclops because I can use it as an example with my 6th graders (Unit 3, Imaginary Creatures, Lesson 1, Old and Modern Creatures).

I plan to use it like this: I will have 6th graders in pairs to write a short text about an imaginary creature and then create a short dialogue and a shadow puppet for it.

I will use the shadow theatre with 1st and 2nd graders as well, for the Little Red Riding Hood (with shadow puppets I have made myself and have them make their own for either LRRH or ‘The Three Little Pigs’.)

Well, here it is… Do be kind, as it’s my first attempt!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bad7R9eIjrw

Thanksgiving

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Every year (the fourth Thursday in November) people in the USA and (on the second Monday in October) in Canada, celebrate Thanksgiving Day .

It’s a big family holiday in North America, with rural origins (αγροτική προέλευση).

It started when the first European settlers (άποικοι) in North America wanted to thank God for their safe arrival (άφιξη) in the New World, but also for the good harvests (σοδειές) he gave them. So one day of the year they established (καθιέρωσαν) a meal in honor of (προς τιμήν) the Creator (Δημιουργός, δηλ. Θεός) with all the members of the family. Dinner traditionally (παραδοσιακά) begins with everyone saying a word for which they are grateful (ευγνώμων), followed by a prayer (προσευχή), during which those sitting at the table usually hold hands.

The turkey (γαλοπούλα) takes centre stage (είναι το επίκεντρο), followed by the filling (γέμιση), and the sauces (σάλτσες) cranberry sauce and gravy that accompany (συνοδεύουν) the turkey, with the almost never missing from the table. The side dishes (συνοδευτικά) are mashed potatoes (πουρές), sweet potatoes, green beans, Brussels sprouts (λαχανάκια Βρυξελλών) and pumpkin, which is either grilled, or soup or pie filling. “Thanksgiving” without pies or tarts is not possible. The 3 most popular, which complete the festive table in the sweetest way, are tart with pumpkin filling, apple pie and pecan pie.

See the foods here:

Turkey with stuffing

 

 

Christmas

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Christmas is Britain’s most popular holiday. 

At Christmas people decorate their houses, children sing carols and wait for Santa Claus to put presents in their stockings!

On Christmas Day all the family gather round for the Christmas dinner. 

The Christmas dinner is the main Christmas meal and is traditionally eaten at midday or early afternoon on Christmas Day.

Traditionally each family has roast turkey or goose, Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, cranberry sauce, rich nutty stuffing, tiny sausages wrapped in bacon (pigs in a blanket) and hot gravy. 

A tradition associated with turkey for Christmas Dinner is the pulling of the wishbone by two people. The person who gets the larger part of the wishbone can then make a wish and wait for it to come true.

Here are some pics from the Christmas Dinner!

Apart from Santa Claus, people also believe in the existence of little creatures, Santa Claus’s helpers, the elves!

10 HABITS OF TECH-SAVVY TEACHERS

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It’s not the apps you use or the skills you’ve mastered that make you truly “tech-savvy.” Rather, it’s a whole attitude of mind.

Here are the 10 most essential habits of tech-savvy teachers.

  1. They are flexible. Technology is constantly changing and evolving. Tech-savvy teachers are able to roll with the punches and adapt as needed. They always have a “Plan B” and even a “Plan C” when things don’t go quite the way they’d hoped.
  2. They communicate digitally. Tech-savvy teachers are comfortable in the world of email and social media, and they intuitively understand how to use these tools appropriately and effectively.
  3. They embrace change. These teachers do more than simply tolerate big change. Usually, they are the ones pursuing it, bringing new innovations to their schools and districts.
  4. They keep their long-range goals in mind. Tech-savvy teachers never do anything simply for technology’s sake. They can articulate exactly how a particular technology advances their goals.
  5. They use technology in their day-to-day lives. These teachers don’t leave their technology at work. They use it for everyday activities like shopping, banking, and making plans with friends.
  6. Their attitude towards technology is balanced. As much as they love technology, they also realize that it isn’t everything! Good technology does not automatically make a good teacher. Besides, everyone needs a break from technology sometimes.
  7. They use the Cloud to make their classrooms paperless. Handing out paper assignments in class? Collecting and grading huge piles of essays? These tasks are a thing of the past, as tech-savvy teachers use Cloud technology to assign, collect and grade student work.
  8. They collaborate. Tech-savvy teachers always want to share their ideas and learn from others. Their excitement and their thirst for knowledge are insatiable. They even collaborate with teachers in other parts of the globe.
  9. They are skilled in digital assessment. There are plenty of assessment apps out there, but tech-savvy teachers know exactly which of these apps best meet their learning objectives.
  10.  They use a variety of apps. Why stick to just one or two apps when so many exist that can enhance their teaching? Teachers will use different apps depending on their subject and the age of their students.

(taken from https://www.thetechedvocate.org/10-habits-tech-savvy-teachers/)

Λοιπόν… Περί QRC (Quick Response Code) ο λόγος!

Όταν τα Χριστούγεννα έψαχνα για μια πιο πρωτότυπη ευχή στους μαθητές / συναδέλφους μου έπεσα μπροστά σε ένα tutorial που συνιστούσε τη χρήση QR Codes για μια πιο προσωποποιημένη ευχή: η εκπαιδευτικός πρότεινε τη χρήση του για να απευθύνει σε κάθε μαθητή ξεχωριστά μια ξεχωριστή ευχή που ενσωμάτωσε με QRC στην κάρτα καθενός.

Μου φάνηκε διαφορετικό και challenging. Μέχρι τότε είχα δει να το χρησιμοποιούν οι κόρες μου αλλά δεν είχα προσέξει πόσο εύκολο ήταν. Νόμιζα ότι θέλει κάποια ιδιαίτερη εφαρμογή-και δεν είχα μπει στον κόπο να μάθω πώς.

Κακώς. Πολύ εύκολο. Τα περισσότερα κινητά το έχουν στη Σάρωση.

Και τα περισσότερα παιδιά πλέον έχουν smart phones, ακόμα και από τις μικρές τάξεις του δημοτικού! Στο σχολείο θα μπορούσαν να χρησιμοποιηθούν και tablets (ή του σχολείου ή και κάποιων μαθητών αν μπορούν να φέρουν).

Αν δεν υπάρχει σαρωτής στο κινητό ή το tablet μπορούμε να κατεβάσουμε μια εφαρμογή όπως το QR Code Reader:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tw.mobileapp.qrcode.banner&hl=el&gl=EE

Αυτό βέβαια που ενδιαφέρει είναι πώς μπορούν να αξιοποιηθούν στην εκπαιδευτική διαδικασία. Παρακολουθώντας κάποια tutorials επέλεξα κάποιες ιδέες που θα μπορούσα να εφαρμόσω με τους μαθητές.

  1. Ενσωμάτωση σε φύλλα εργασίας (π.χ. αν θέλω να προσθέσω επιπλέον υλικό και πηγές)
  2. Ενσωμάτωση σε τεστ με συμβουλές βοήθειας για αυτούς που δυσκολεύονται ή με τις σωστές απαντήσεις για αυτοαξιολόγηση.
  3. Δημιουργία αφίσας με επιπλέον πληροφορίες σε διάφορα σημεία.
  4. Δημιουργία καρτελών για οδηγίες π.χ. σε μία συσκευή.
  5. Δημιουργία καρτελών για πληροφορίες για μία σημαντική προσωπικότητα (π.χ. στη βιβλιοθήκη του σχολείου για συγκεκριμένους συγγραφείς / βιβλία ή σε ένα μουσείο προσωπικοτήτων κάτω από την εικόνα του καθενός)

Οι δύο όμως επιλογές που έχουν μία πολύ μεγάλη δόση περιπέτειας και παιχνιδιού είναι οι εξής:

  1. Δημιουργία διαδραστικού χάρτη, όπου τα QR Codes παραπέμπουν σε χάρτες, βίντεο, σε Google Maps- Google Earth (κοιτάξτε εδώ ένα φανταστικό project: https://twitter.com/MrsTullio/status/1331765288346546178 )

(μήπως θα μπορούσε να γίνει ο treasure hunt map στο Unit 2 του Magic Book της Γ’ δημοτικού τέλειος έτσι??? Μια ιδέα λέω…)

  1. Κυνήγι θησαυρού ή Scavenger Hunt, όπου οι συμμετέχοντες αναζητούν μια λίστα από κρυμμένα στοιχεία (κάποια ή όλα σε QR codes) ή ερωτήσεις για να γίνει το παιχνίδι ακόμα πιο μυστήριο και διασκεδαστικό για τους μαθητές.

Ελπίζω οι σημειώσεις μου να βοηθήσουν κι εσάς!   🙂