Fill-in-the-Gap Exercises

Fill the Blank or we can say Fill in the Gap is one of exercises that can be chosen to examine students’ understanding. Some teachers use it to evaluate grammar or vocabulary. In traditional method, sometimes the teachers make it by giving the answer choice directly beside the blank. I think it is less challenging as the students’ thinking limits on those choices. It will not make different with multiple-choice question.

Especially for computer-based class, the teachers can use Hot Potatoes (JCloze) to make this evaluation be more challenging. You can include clues, not other answer choices, to improve your students’ thinking skills. In addition, you can give limitation time so that your students will do this with high concentration because when the time is end, the students will have no more time to finish it.

This is the example of JCloze (ready to use)

This is the example of JCloze (process)

This is tutorial how to make this exercise using JCloze Hot Potatoes.

JCloze Hot Potatoes Tutorial

Teaching Integrated Skills in EFL/ESL Classroom

            Very often we find EFL/ESL class in Junior or Senior High School is taught by the teacher in separation skill. In making lesson plan, the teacher only focus on a skill in each meeting. Moreover, they always use teaching media which include another skill to understand it. For example, the teacher asks students to watch video or read some articles to be told in front of the class. We know that the teacher wants to focus on students’ speaking skill but they forget that watching video need students’ listening skill and read some articles needs their reading skill. In this part, the teachers need to be aware of teaching integrated skill so that all students’ language skills will be cared.

            In this occasion, I will give an idea about teaching and learning media that can be used for teachers to improve students interest and pay big attention to students’ integrated skill indirectly. We can use “Videoscribe”. Videoscribe is one of application to make an interesting “board” video. We can include voices to support the written in the board explanation. This is a tutorial how to use Videoscribe. (Sparkol Videoscribe Tutorial)

If you want to know more the video, just check Facebook for Teaching Media

Timeline

         Timeline is an actual picture of event that happened in history. There are many benefits that we can take from using this as learning media. It can make shorter the history of important knowledge that can improve our students' interest as it can be made from many colours, shapes, pictures, etc. In addition, it only contains some spesific sentences which is chriterias of an event. Therefore, our students will be easy to remember all important events easily. Besides, internet has given us many websites and software to create timeline creatively and quickly, such as timetoast.com, tiki-toki.com, dipity.com or timeglider.com. 

         I think timeglider.com is the most easiest website to create a timeline. Here I will give you a video how to make timeline using timeglider.com Tutorial of Creating Timeline

This is an example of timeline about History of CALL.