“DRIVING QUESTION” – CAN IT DRIVE YOU UP THE WALL??????

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DRIVING QUESTION

“Start your Project Based lessons with a good driving question” – this is what you will find in every resource on PBL.  Hard as it might be to create, the driving question is paramount for project based learning as it provides its purpose and sets its context.  So, ask yourself, what you will be focusing on with your students. Is it trying to find the best solution to the problem? If yes, is it abstract and academic or practical and concrete? Is it provocative and leading to discourse? Is it expected to inspire discussion or present and/or establish claim? Will it be one question for the whole class/team or a number of individual questions related to individual projects?

Researching materials on PBL and the Driving Question might prove a really daunting task. So, for a start, why don’t you check out the the ones I found particularly useful, not too lengthy and really inspiring.

  • AN ONLINE COURSE: A couple of years go I completed a PBL course with School Education Gateway. Although the course concluded, you can still use the resources HERE.
  • A WEBSITE: An absolutely fantastic website You for Youth with tonnes of information about PBL, rubrics, worksheets and tools of different kind.
  • AN ARTICLE: An article “In search of the driving question” by Andrew Miller on Edutopia investigating a number of types of driving question and what we should remember about while creating it. 
  • A CHECKLIST (an many more) which you can find on Tony Vincent’s fantastic blog.  

 

Have a look at the visual which, hopefully, will help you remember what a good driving question should be like.

 

 

 

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

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What frightened Beata? who is the man hidden behind the paper? What will happen now?

PhotoFunia is the best way to add a spark to your photos, make them special and more original. In only a few seconds an amazing photo collage is ready, absolutely free. PhotoFunia is so straight forward to use, that anyone, at any age, can use it with ease. You can ask your students to prepare a funny picture as a prompt for speaking or writing. Go to PHOTOFUNIA and have fun!!!!

PhotoFunia is the best way to add a spark to your photos, make them special and more original. In only a few seconds an amazing photo collage is ready, absolutely free. PhotoFunia is so straight forward to use, that anyone, at any age, can use it with ease.

What frightened Beata? Who is the man hidden behind the paper? What will happen now?

HOW TO EXPRESS OPINION

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HOW TO EXPRESS OPINION

Personal Point of View

We use these words and phrases to express a personal point of view:

  • In my experience…
  • As far as I’m concerned…
  • Speaking for myself…
  • In my opinion…
  • Personally, I think…
  • I’d say that…
  • I’d suggest that…
  • I’d like to point out that…
  • I believe that…
  • What I mean is…
  • General Point of View

    We use these words and phrases to express a point of view that is generally thought by people:

    • It is thought that…
    • Some people say that…
    • It is considered…
    • It is generally accepted that…

    Agreeing with an opinion

    We use these words and phrases to agree with someone else’s point of view:

    • Of course.
    • You’re absolutely right.
    • Yes, I agree.
    • I think so too.
    • That’s a good point.
    • Exactly.
    • I don’t think so either.
    • So do I.
    • I’d go along with that.
    • That’s true.
    • Neither do I.
    • I agree with you entirely.
    • That’s just what I was thinking.
    • I couldn’t agree more.
    • Disagreeing with an opinion

      We use these words and phrases to disagree with someone else’s point of view:

      • That’s different.
      • I don’t agree with you.
      • However…
      • That’s not entirely true.
      • On the contrary…
      • I’m sorry to disagree with you, but…
      • Yes, but don’t you think…
      • That’s not the same thing at all.
      • I’m afraid I have to disagree.
      • I’m not so sure about that.
      • I must take issue with you on that.
      • It’s unjustifiable to say that…
      • http://www.vocabulary.cl/Lists/Opinions.htm

GLOBAL WARMING and GREENHOUSE EFFECT

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[mediacore height=”315px” public_url=”http://edinburghcollege.mediacore.tv/media/global-warming-a-video-by-nasa” thumb_url=”http://cdnassets.mediacore.tv/sites/8595/images/media/524368m-8DLL1yjl.jpg” title=”Global Warming A video by NASA” width=”560px”]

RESEARCH: GLOBAL WARMING and GREENHOUSE EFFECT

FOR BUSY TEACHERS – YOU CAN’T MISS IT!!!!

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Do you want to start your lesson with something different? Something that everybody is talking about? Something that everybody should know? Do you need to find information quickly?

REFDESK.COM REFDESK.COM might be very useful . It can be accessed via computer or smartphone. It gives you:

Site of the day – for example Earth Cam. I’ve just seen what’s going on in Bangkok. Live! Good for DESCRIBING PICTURES.

Fact of the day – I’ve just learnt that many historians believe football (European version) originated in China around 1000 B.C. Good for DISCUSSION about – football, China, other inventions, you name it.

Thought of the day – “Better to be occasionally cheated than perpetually suspicious.” – B.C. Forbes, hmmm, I don’t know, I guess so. But I’m not going to tell my students!

This day in history – “The first American attack on Japanese soil during WWII, the Battle of Iwo Jima(…)”. No, I’m not choosing that. The page gives me other option for example BBC. So, I’m choosing 25.02 – well, well – 1982: Parents can stop school beatings: The European Court of Human Rights rules corporal punishment in Britain’s schools is a violation of the Human Rights Convention. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/25/default.stm) Good for COMPARING and CONTRASTING different school systems, CHATTING about school days; USED TO  etc.

In the newsDISCUSSING CURRENT EVENTS

Article of the day – homework: READING COMPREHENSION; WRITING A SUMMARY

Today’s birthday – good for WRITING A BIOGRAPHY; PRESENTATIONS

Today’s pictures – One of my favourite –  stunning images, shocking images, informative images, street photography, political images, etc. Good for SHORT TALKS or DESCRIBE THE PICTURE activities.

Word of the day – Love it! Every day – a new word. Today – a stalking-horse.

Dictionaries of different sorts (visual, talking, technical), translators and many, many other things which can be used easily and fast.

This website is a real gem for busy teachers. A real time saver!!!! And excellent for LEARNING ON THE GO!!!!  

THINGLINK – bring more life to your presentation

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My Higher ESOL  students are getting ready for their presentations.

I was thinking what other options apart from a good old power point I could recommend.

THINGLINK? ThingLink helps to create images linked with music, video, text, images, etc.

Presentations may be shared via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or kept totally private.

If you want to see this very short presentation click on the link. CROSS COUNTRY SKIING

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING presentation – example

 

 

VOICETHREAD

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VOICETHREAD is a web-based application that allows you to place different media such as images, videos, documents, and link them to the audio file presentation. An excellent way of making your students talk or write about the picture, document, ppt etc.

Describe the picture

Click the link if you want to hear what the students were saying. VOICETHREAD – describe the picture