Inspirational English, June 2017 Inspirational English, June 2017 | Page 8

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You tend to encourage your students to use mobile
phones in class. What is the best way to use smart
phones without disrupting the lesson?
It takes time. My students are used to using mobile phones and we do it regularly, but they know the
rules. I also had to inform the parents what we do and how we use them, so both sides have a clear idea
what is happening in the class. Their mobile phones are switched off most of the time and I use mine as a
kind of a warm up. I show them on my mobile a photo or a short video to spark their interest. But I ask to
take out their mobile phones when I have a certain task and I want them to produce a language – for
example in exam groups I often use Pinterest to practice speaking. Then, there is a time limit and it’s
controlled speaking, which makes them unable to use Facebook or other communicators.
You often take part in conferences where you meet a lot of teachers. Would you tell
us how you motivate them to use technology in class?
Showing not telling is the key. I often encourage teachers during a conference workshop to take out their
mobiles and try the activities as they really work. Still, a lot of teachers are afraid of using, for example,
mobile phones in the class, but you can train yourself and your students although it takes time. If you use
it once a year it’s not effective. If you use it on every single lesson then it’s not fun anymore, so balance in
needed as in everything. But I can give you one tip. Whenever I see a video or a photo that can be
suitable for a lesson I save it, you will never find it later on when you need it. I also have a special folder
where I store them. On the other hand, sometimes it’s also worth experimenting. Just write ‘natural
disasters’ on Youtube to see how many ready to use films you can get. They are usually about 2-3 min
long and are perfect for the classroom use as a warm up, filler or closer.
Thank you, Magdalena!
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