Using Visuals to Teach Autistic Students

Here is a fascinating video about different ways to teach students with autism.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO6dc7QSQb4&feature=related

Nice printables site

http://www.anglomaniacy.pl/printableTopics3a.htm

Priorities for Evaluating Instructional Materials

http://www.poderato.com/carva9/priorities-for-evaluating-instructional-materials/priorities-for-evaluating-instructional-materials

Principles of Effective Material Development

Principles of Effective Material Development

By Prof. Danny

            Brian Tomlinson,  points out what he considers to be a limitation of the multiple publications on ELT materials, which is that the writers formulate those materials based upon intuition and previous experience. In other words these authors know what works and does not work. For him they should coherently adhere to principles such as the theories of language acquisition, the knowledge of how the target language is acquired and deep observation and evaluation of the materials to be used.

            Although this is basically true, I differ from this statement since he seems to undermine the importance of intuition and the experience a professional develops throughout his career. A teacher knows best how to address the students and what materials are more suitable for a determined group.

            Here I want to clarify that one has to be open minded in this professional field, we must try new things. But sometimes we feel compelled to try some material or techniques in the class because it is part of the popular tendency at that moment more than a conviction that the material is actually going to function. Besides, theory can be sometimes fickle; years ago everything was about the Communicative Approach which was like the gospel for ELT. Nowadays the Cooperative Approach is just as popular.

            The author created a list of principles to take into account at the moment one develops teaching materials, some comments in regard of that list are:

Principle of language acquisition that materials should be meaningful and comprehensible. That is a difficult mixture because if the material is authentic then hardly it will be comprehensible especially for children and beginners; however we as teachers must find that balance.

Second principle, involves the idea that students must be engaged emotionally and intellectually in the learning experience. Activities must be ludic, especially when dealing with children. There must be fun, enjoyment and play. But this must be imbued also with intellectual challenge.

Language learners benefit from using mental recourses that they also utilize when acquiring L1. When working with kids it is extremely important to expose them to the vocabulary using all the channels and senses (visuals, auditory, tactile, etc.)

It is very important the aspect implied by the author that the teaching should be consistent with the objectives set for the class. The materials are used to help the acquisition of language. However many teachers tend to do the opposite and base the structure of a course on the materials making the student adapt to them.

By Danny