Materials and methodology: How to create resources from nothing

Working in low-resource contexts, teachers research and share how to create resources from nothing. 

In this video, Laxmi Prasad Ojha from Nepal talks about how teachers can support learning and achieve objectives in contexts where very few students have access to textbooks, and where teachers have very few classroom resources.

He describes how everyday household materials can be used as realia or recycled to create useful teaching aids such as picture cards or word cards. What teachers and learners bring to the classroom in terms of knowledge, experience and interests is also a valuable resource, and can be drawn on to develop skills, especially speaking.

He also discusses how teachers can exploit the power of simple pictures to tap into students’ imaginations and get them thinking beyond the classroom to the world outside.

Reflection and discussion

One of the purposes of these resources is to help you with your own teacher development in related contexts. The questions in task 1 and task 2 are designed for you to think about and discuss with colleagues, either informally or as part of your formal professional development.

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Comments

Submitted by AmirELT on Sun, 04/12/2020 - 06:16

Very nice points. I think, as Laxmi cogently pointed out, photos are an invaluable source to eploit in classrooms. In this class, we can safely concur that a picture is worth a thousand words (and is bound to elicit another thousand). Thank you for the beautiful video.

Submitted by Heidi-Elisa on Mon, 04/11/2016 - 17:54

Old cardboard boxes can be cut up and used to make word banks. New words are written on the card and put in a central box. Students have to take a word out each lesson and try to use it. When they have they can put it back and take another.

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