Messages

 

Our electronic newspaper Messages has got its home again. It will be published here, on Padlet.

Padlet is the easiest way to create and collaborate in the world. It works like a sheet of paper where you can put anything (images, videos, documents, text) anywhere, from any device (pcs, tablets, phones), together with anyone.

 

Grammar dictations combined with audio files (11th -12th grades)

A grammar dictation consists of a text that contains a grammar unit that you would like to practise and revise (for example Use of adjectives and adverbs). The worksheet I propose requires dictating only the adjectives. So, if you decide to use it, you should record only the adjectives and distribute the first page as a handout to your students.

For the rest of the algorithm, you follow the steps as described in DICTATIONS BY MEANS OF AUDIO FILES (8TH GRADE).

Dictations by means of audio files (8th grade)

In order to make an audio file of your dictation, you can use the tool Fromtexttospeech

1. Simply copy and paste your text into the box.
2. Then select language, voice, speed.
3. Click on the Create audio file button.
4. Then you can download your file by right click.
5. When your file is ready, send it to your students via emails or Facebook page of the class or messenger etc.
6. They should listen as many times as they need to, and they shouldn’t just stop after every word.
7. Next day they should bring the written text in class.
8. You display the dictation transcript on the whiteboard and the students can correct their mistakes.
9. If you gave them the criteria and the assessment rubrics in advance, they would do self-assessment.

Illustrated Dictations (5th -7th grades)

This type of dictations consists of a text that contains words familiar to my students but represented by pictures that illustrate their meaning. So, here is the model of work step by step.

1. Choose a text (it could be from the student’s book or the activity book) containing concrete words from the student’s wordlist.
2. Put the text in a Word file, illustrating these words with suitable pictures.
3. Create and distribute your handouts to your students.
4. Make students read the text on their own and write the words in the place provided for them.
5. Then give them time to revise and correct if necessary.
6. Make students read once again and then display the dictation text on the whiteboard by means of a projector.
7. Students can correct their mistakes with a red pen so that their mistakes are easy-to-see when you move around the classroom.
8. If you gave them the criteria and the assessment rubrics, they would do self-assessment.

Just an example from my classroom

Phonemic dictations (3rd – 4th grades)

This type of dictations consists of a very short text that contains words familiar to my students but with difficult spelling. So, here is the model of work step by step. I call these dictations ‘phonemic’ because sometimes after the dictation itself I make students spell the difficult words and say similar words if they can.

Example H-E-A-R as in D-E-A-R.

1. Choose a short text (it could be from the student’s book or the activity book), not more than about 5 sentences long.
2. Put the text in a Word file, making gaps for the words with difficult spelling.
3. Create and distribute your handouts to your students.
4. In class, you dictate the text slowly so that students can do gap fills.
5. Then give them time to revise and correct if necessary.
6. Make students listen once again and then display the dictation text on the whiteboard by means of a projector.
7. Students can correct their mistakes with a red pen so that their mistakes are easy-to-see when you move around the classroom.
8. If you gave them the criteria and the assessment rubrics, they would do self-assessment.

Just an idea from me.