Institute of Learning

Natassa Manitsa: Quick writing ideas for Online Lessons By   Natassa Manitsa   On   March 23, 2020 Of course they are NOT only for online lessons. You can also use them as time fillers when we finally all go back to school. The thing is that they are quick, sweet and interesting. Although they are based on writing, they can be used as an oral game as well because they are very communicative. So, don’t be afraid of online lessons. Wear your best smile and… off we go! 1. One word substitution Give an initial sentence. Give them sometime to come up with ideas. Each student in turn has to change one word. “Jack and Jill went up the hill” “Jack and  John  went up the hill” “Jack and John went  down  the hill” “Jack and John went down the  slide ” “ Mary  and John went down the slide” “Mary and John went down  a  slide” “Mary and John  climbed  down a slide” “Mary and John climbed down a  mountain ” “Mary and John  walked  down a mountain” 2. Talking with T Give an initia

Cambridge Life Competencies for Teens is a 7-part podcast series that dives head first into each of the 6 areas of t he  Cambridge Life Competencies Framework  that you as teachers can use to help your teenage learners become successful young adults. We want to make your lives as easy and productive as possible by offering two things: Perspective – Helping you understand what each area means to you, your students and their futures to enable them to thrive in this new digital era. Practical advice and tips – Hearing from subject-specialists and members of our Language Research team in Cambridge provides you, the listener, with advice on how you can easily integrate lessons on life competencies into your teaching. Podcast episodes Each episode features an expert in that particular field, in discussion with a member from our Research team that actually created the framework! Episode 1: ‘Collaboration’ featuring Dan Vincent and Delia Kidd Episode 2: ‘Communication’ fea

Nicola Morgan is a multi-award-winning author and international expert on teenage brains and mental health, and the science of reading for pleasure. A former teacher and dyslexia specialist, Nicola was a prize-winning novelist whose career changed after the success of her best-selling examination of the teenage brain, Blame My Brain. In the first of four posts by teenage brain, wellbeing and learning expert Nicola Morgan, she looks at changes that affect the teenage brain, enabling us to be more aware and help teenagers through these changes. All teenagers are individuals. They are also going through shared significant brain and body changes. Their individual cultures, environments, genes and personalities affect how this stage feels for them but the developmental changes must happen, to turn them from protected, dependent child to unprotected, independent adult.  Details and references are in my book, Blame My Brain, and teaching materials, Brain Sticks, but here I’ve picked five

Why Relaxed Alertness Provides the Optimum Emotional Climate for Learning Tomorrow's Teaching and Learning   www.corwin.com   Copyright © 2016 by Corwin.                      Believe in yourself!  Have faith in your abilities!  Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.   – Normal Vincent Peale (1898-1993) Relaxed Alertness is the optimal state of mind for meaningful learning. At the Core People in a state of Relaxed Alertness experience low threat and high challenge (Caine & Caine, 1991/1994, 2010). Essentially, the learner is both relaxed and to some extent excited or emotionally engaged at the same time. This is the foundation for taking risks in thinking, questioning, and experimenting, all of which are essential to mastering new skills and engaging higher-order thinking.  In this state the learner feels competent and confident and has a sense of meaning or purpose. Everyone