Transcript שקופית 1 - English Teachers' Association of Israel

Brainstorming
Make Brainstorming Part of Your Teaching Methods
Where does the idea of brainstorming come from?
 Brainstorming is a strategy that has its origins in the
business world.
 In the 1960’s executives found that this free-flowing
method was an effective way to generate workable
ideas or solutions in a small amount of time.
 The ideas would then be organized and evaluated
and the most effective and workable ideas would be
identified and used for the organization.
The brainstorming process as it relates to the
classroom is based on two ideas:
 1. Most new material is related to existing
knowledge.
 2. Students learn most effectively and efficiently
when they are actively involved with ideas, materials
and peers.
 Learning is an active-not a passive-process!!
What do students bring into the classroom?
 Knowledge
 Personal experiences
 Information
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All these may be random,
disorganized or inaccurate
but they do exist.
What types of knowledge do students bring to the class?
What is brainstorming?
 It is a combination of a relaxed, informal approach
to problem-solving and lateral thinking.
 People give their ideas and thoughts.
 Some of these ideas are used to form original,
creative solutions to problems.
 Even some seemingly useless ideas can spark still
more ideas.
The goal of brainstorming is:
to direct people to new
ways of thinking and
break away from the
usual way of reasoning.
Brainstorming emphasizes learning as a dynamic
active process.
 It encourages students to become involved in the
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creation, gathering and organization of ideas.
It helps motivate even the more passive students.
The students take ownership of the material because
it comes from them and is not imposed on them.
Students interchange and share their ideas.
It encourages teamwork.
Why use brainstorming?
 It helps get creative solutions to a problem.
 It has become part of the teaching and learning
process.
 It can be used with your class to bring the
various students’ experiences into play.
 Brainstorming is enjoyable.
Steps in a brainstorming activity:
 The teacher introduces the topic.
 The teacher chooses the participants to express their
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ideas about the topic.
Each idea is recorded on the board in a graphic
organizer for all to see.
All ideas are accepted.
It is possible to expand on a classmate’s idea.
There should be a time limit and not an idea limit.
The Brainstorming Process
Brainstorming in the EFL Class
 In EFL classes brainstorming can be effective in a wide
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range of areas of instruction.
Pre reading /Pre listening
Teachers ask questions that are central for the
comprehension of the text.
Students try to give as many answers to them as possible.
The questions must involve a wide variety of possible
answers.
This can be identified with HOTS:
Prediction- generating possibilities
Before writing a story, an article, an opinion,
a summary or anything else:
 Pre writing
A topic can be fully brainstormed in an individual or
group brainstorming (or a combination of both) to
generate as many ideas as possible. At home
students use their notes to prepare an outline and
write the first draft to be edited in class.
Grammar
 In order for students understand how grammar
works, they should explore it (use in in a meaningful
way).
 Instead of having the teacher explaining everything.
 Give them a grammar topic and use in a certain
context.
 Grammar should be taught in connection with
context and meaning and not recited without
understanding.
Vocabulary
 Use brainstorming sessions to find the meaning of
difficult vocabulary using the context.
 Encourage students to provide their guesses and
accept all of them even the wildest ones.
 Only later with the help of the teacher, students try
to evaluate them and pick up the most appropriate
definitions.
Other Brainstorming Ideas
 Predicting a listening or reading text.
 Listing communication, learning, or exam strategies.
 Coming up with vocabulary connected to:
 e.g. body words, negative words, collocations with
the word “get”, or phrases used in a particular
situation such as: “at the post office”.
 Coming up with functional language phrases.
Examples of Graphic Organizers to Use in
Brainstorming
 Sun
Venn Diagram
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A
Both
B
Cluster Word Web
Describing Wheel
Brainstorming with the Teacher at the Board
 The teacher starts with a graphic
organizer.
 The teacher introduces the topic.
 The teacher makes sure as many
students participate as possible.
Let’s do some
brainstorming!
W O R K W I T H A P A R T N E R .
C H O S E O N E O F T H E F O L L O W I N G 4
POSSIBILITIES.
S H O W O R T E L L H O W Y O U W O U L D
USE BRAINSTORMING!
 USE ONE OF THE GRAPHIC
ORGANIZERS.
(1)
What do you think this story is going to be about?
 BOYS IN THE KITCHEN
A Family Adventure Story
Family First U N I T 3 (2)
What do you think this unit is going to be about?
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In this unit you are going to:
read, talk, listen to and write about family
issues including:
roles and responsibilities at home
birth position of children in the family
getting along with siblings
managing time
asking for and giving advice.
participate in a debate about working mothers.
organize information and present the results
using a pie chart.
read, listen and respond to letters articles,
interviews, poems and short stories.
prepare and present a project.
play games including:
a Vocabulary Xword Game.
a Parts of Speech Game
Vocabulary:
What do you think the letter is going to be about? (3)
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cause
disagreement
frustrated
opinion
point of view
solution
impulsive
practice
sensitivity
respect
reward
What kind of brainstorm activity could you do
for this ad? (4)
 WANTED:
 Star Chemical is looking for a person to work in
sales of multi vitamins and minerals for children
and adults.
 No experience necessary.
 Must be good with people.
 Work from home or at our office in Petach Tikva.
 Call: Mr. Sam Bond at 03 9807641
 or 050 6893451
 any time
Other Classroom Brainstorming Ideas
Brainstorming with a
student at the board.
Brainstorming in groups.
Brainstorming gives the students a feeling of satisfaction in being
envolved in the learning process.