Theme: How technology is changing the way we learn
Lexical area: Information technology and education

Instructions for language assistants in Italics

Classroom materials

Introduction
This lesson is about technology and how it’s changing the way students learn and study.

Task 1 is a simple vocabulary matching activity and Task 2 gives students some questions to discuss in pairs. Task 3 is a reading text about the use of MP3 players in British schools and Task 4 gives students the opportunity to discuss the effects of technology on their lives. Task 5 is a group task that asks students to prioritise between different materials and resources in school and Task 6 is a creative task that asks students to design a classroom of the future.

1. Techno-vocab-match
Ask students to match the technology on the left with its definition on the right.

Answers:
1 – d, 2 - c, 3 – f, 4 – a, 5 – b, 6 – e.

Task 1 Techno-vocab-match
Match the item on the left with its definition on the right.

• Which of the things in the table do you know about?
• Are there any that you’ve never heard of?

2. Find a techie!
Explain the term ‘techie’ to your students. It is usually used to describe someone who is really into IT and uses it a lot. (N.B. in Spain the word ‘techie’ is used, but it can carry negative connotations, more like ‘computer nerd’!)

This is a classic Find Somebody Who… mingle activity to get students moving around talking to one another. Make sure you’re clear with your instructions before the students get out of their seats.

1) Tell students they are going to find people in the class who have done the things in the first column.

2) Check they can form the questions they need.

3) Tell students they must speak to at least six different students and have different names in the name column.

4) To get the extra information they must ask an additional question. Practise a few additional questions with the group before they start so they get the idea.

Eg. Student 1- “ Have you used a computer in the last 24 hours?” Student 2 – “Yes, I have.” Student 1 – “What did you use it for?” Student B – “I chatted with my friends”.

Task 2 Find a techie!
Speak to your classmates to find out who the ‘techies’ are.

• Look at your answers and tell the group something you found out about your classmates.

3. Trend UK reading: Did your dog eat your MP3?
This is a reading activity taken from a Trend UK text. Depending on the level of your group, decide how much of the vocabulary to teach before letting the students read the text. If you decide not to pre-teach vocabulary make sure the students are reading for gist, to get the main ideas from the text, and make it clear you don’t expect them to understand every word.

The pre-reading questions are aimed at getting the students into the topic.

Task 3 Trend UK reading: Did your dog eat your MP3?
Before you read the text, discuss the following questions:

• When was the last time you didn’t do your homework?
• Did you have a good excuse for not doing your homework?
• Have you or your friends ever invented an excuse for not doing homework?
• Do you think new technology can help you to learn?
• How much technology is used in your school?

4. Discussion Statements
Cut up one set of discussion statements for each group. Ask the students to take one statement at a time and one student reads it out. The group discuss the statement, saying whether or not they agree and supporting their answer with a reason. Set a time limit and at the end of the discussion bring the class together for each group to share their ideas.

If you have more time you could cut up one set of statements and stick them around the classroom to use as a running dictation. Put students into pairs and nominate one writer and one reader. The readers have to go around the room, find the slips of paper and memorise the statements. They then return to their partner and dictate the statement. Their partner writes the statement down. They must not shout back the statement from around the room. State in your instructions that this is not allowed (nor is removing the statements and taking them to your partner!)

Task 4 Discussion Statements
Discuss the following statements in groups. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statements?

1. We should spend more time learning how to use computers at school.
2. I know more about computers and new technology than my parents.
3. I think I will need to use computers in my job.
4. The Internet is more useful than books.
5. Books and newspapers will disappear within the next 50 years.
6. In the future teachers will be replaced by robots or computers.
7. In the future students will study more at home by computer.
8. I think I will work from a computer at home when I get a job.



5. Spending committee
This is a group activity where students imagine they are going to be part of the committee that will decide how money is spent in their school. They should discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the following items (add more if you want to) and try to come to a decision about the importance of the items. They should try to prioritise. If it is too difficult for them to order them all, ask them to choose the top three.

Task 5 Spending committee
Work in small groups. Imagine your school has been given a large sum of money to spend on new materials. You are part of the committee that will decide how to spend the money. Put the following items in order from the most important to the least important. You must be able to defend your choices.

• Books for the library
• New furniture for the classrooms
• A new sports centre
• More teachers
• A new computer room
• MP3 players for every student
• Laptops for every student
• Interactive whiteboards for every classroom
• A new dining area for lunchtime
• A common room for students to relax

6. Classrooms of the future
Groups will need more or less support with this task, depending on the level and how creative your students are. To offer more support you could do a rough design of a classroom of the future as a whole group before splitting the class into pairs and letting them work alone. Ask the students questions to decide what you draw.

For example: Is there a computer on each table? Do students all have MP3 players? Is the teacher a human or a robot?! Where are the windows? Are there webcams in the room? When the groups have finished, ask them to present their ideas to the class and you could hold a class vote to decide on the best classroom.

Task 6 Classrooms of the future
Think about what classrooms will be like in the future. Imagine what your classroom will look like in fifty or a hundred years time. Work in pairs and draw the design of the classroom of the future here:



Internet links

This site has a text and learning activities on the theme of technophobia.
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish

This site has a short story about a computer that goes crazy
http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids

By Jo Budden