ELA Today is an online journal compiled and edited by the ATEQ Board featuring content relevant to English Language Arts Teachers in Quebec. It includes contributions from people in Quebec and from abroad in order to foster beneficial dialogue and share information, knowledge and pedagogical approaches.
In today’s educational landscape, fostering engaging and interactive learning experiences is paramount. As educators, exploring innovative teaching methodologies is key to captivating students’ attention and enhancing their learning journey. One such avenue that has gained significant traction is the utilization of podcasts as an effective oral assignment tool.
My grade 9 students have just started reading their books for book clubs. Every time I assign a book – whether it’s a whole class novel or a book club text – I struggle with what they should be doing in class while reading their books at home and during independent reading time. I also worry that they won’t keep up with the reading or that the reading will be meaningless to them. Over the past few years, I’ve collected a few handful of tips and tricks – mostly from colleagues – to help keep us all on track, and keep my worry at bay.
We are officially in the POST-post-Covid universe. Most of the technology that teachers were required to learn during the pandemic, like Zoom or Teams, is already starting to collect dust on our desktops. In the post post-Covid era, we need to think about not only the new tools that have come and gone, but also how we can iterate on the lessons and techniques we internalized, and adapt them in this crazy world.
Everyone loves a good story, especially if it’s funny. Nothing increases engagement and connectivity more than laughter. Many students feel that they are not funny or don’t have humorous stories to tell. What they don’t know is that humour can be found hiding within their story, and if they still can’t find it they can find ways to layer it in.