Session 11
March 10

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A framework for planning topics

We are still not experts on doing Lesson Plans, that is why Harold is giving us tools nonstop. Today we are checking a framework for planning. It consists in five elements:
1. Activities. eg, listening to instructions, reading a dialogue, filling in the blanks, playing a game
2. Thinking skills. eg, comparing, identifying, ranking, memorizing, analysing
3. Laguage demands. eg, vocabulary, grammar, language functions, discourses
4. Resources. eg, realia, tapes, videos, published materials
5. Products. eg, written text, draws, stories recorded on tape.

All those components are strategies to do an effective lesson plan. Before we plan our lesson, we will first need to identify the learning objectives for the class meeting. Then, we can design appropriate learning activities and develop strategies to obtain feedback on student learning. A successful lesson plan addresses and integrates these five key components.

I consider that well planned lessons have the potential to increase student achievement, increase teacher confidence, decrease student behavior problems and make the teaching experience more enjoyable and rewarding, no matter the target audience.