Title:
Enhancing students’ integrative use of English Language through adopting e-learning tools
Type:
Unit plan
KLA:
English Language
Level:
S1
School:
St Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese School

Background

To better cater for the diverse learning needs of students, St. Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese School implemented the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. English teachers incorporated the use of e-tools into the English Language curriculum and varied the curriculum content with a view to enhancing learning and teaching effectiveness.


Objectives

  • To cater for learner diversity, especially to stretch more able students and motivate less able students in writing
  • To enhance students’ integrative use of language
  • To improve students’ self-management skills

Implementation

For each unit, teachers have developed two sets of school-based S1 writing booklets in which students brainstormed ideas, explored theme-specific vocabulary, practised relevant text grammar structures, and applied their learning in the final writing. Different scaffolding tasks such as visual input and graphic organisers were used to incorporate e-learning tools such as Padlet to enhance interaction among students.

In addition, there was variation in the learning content and outcomes to cater for learner diversity. For example, more able students produced individual presentation videos as follow-up tasks and less able students completed the writing task.


Target knowledge, skills & attitudes

Take Unit 5 Yum! as an example. Students were required to write a personal blog entry to describe a pleasant/an unpleasant dining experience.

Students were expected to:
  • use past tenses to describe past events,
  • use quantifiers to talk about amounts, and
  • share their drafts on Padlet.
Teaching procedures
Materials/Resources
Lessons 1-2
  1. Teacher stated the learning goal – writing a personal blog entry (Set A/Set B) about a pleasant/an unpleasant dining experience.
  2. Students brainstormed three food items and wrote them down on the booklet (P.2).
  3. Teacher explored with students what a personal blog entry is and invited them to analyse the writing task in terms of purpose, audience and tone (P.3).
  4. Students completed the word search/crossword puzzle game (P.4 – 5).
  5. The useful vocabulary was revised using a Kahoot! game.
  6. Teacher recapped the text grammar items with students (P.6 – 9).
  7. Students completed the follow-up exercises on the writing booklet as homework.
  • F1 Unit 5 Writing Booklet Set A/B (Set A: 1A-1C, Set B: 1D-1E – more able students)
  • Writing PPT
  • Kahoot!
Lessons 3-4
  1. Teacher recapped the text grammar items with students by checking the answers on the writing booklet.
  2. Students planned their writing using the guiding questions (P.10).
  3. They chose six vocabulary items to be included in the writing and made sentences using the text grammar items (P.10).
  4. Students shared the sentences on Padlet. Peers could provide feedback such as giving “likes” to their posts on Padlet or give comments.
  5. By using the draft and the sentences they made, students wrote the first draft of a blog entry and posted them on Padlet. Students could give feedback during this stage.
  6. Students reviewed their own writing before submission (P.11) and completed the self-reviewing checklist (P.13).
  7. Teacher collected the first draft for marking.
  • F1 Unit 5 Writing Booklet Set A/B (Set A: 1A-1C, Set B: 1D-1E – more able students)
  • Padlet
Lesson 5
  1. Teacher gave students comments on the first draft (P.14).
  2. Students modified their writing based on teacher’s feedback.
    3. For more able students only:
  3. Teacher gave instructions about producing a 1-minute video (Set B P.15).
  4. Teacher invited one to two student(s) to present his blog entry and recapped presentation skills.
  5. Students produced the 1-minute videos of the restaurant review using iPads and uploaded them to Google Classroom.
  6. After the lesson, teacher watched the videos and gave feedback in the following lesson.
  • F1 Unit 5 Writing Booklet Set A/B (Set A: 1A-1C, Set B: 1D-1E – more able students)
  • Unit 5 Yum! Making a vlog
  • Google Classroom

Acknowledgments


St Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese School
Helen WONG (Language Support Officer)