Outline for PDC PLAN
Group members: Mehmet Emin MADRAN – Nevbahar ÇELİK
Sub topic for this session: Common problems and possible solutions to teach writing more effectively
By the end of the session, teachers will have:
o discussed common problems about writing in class.
o come up with and shared possible causes and solution
o applied the solutions to a coursebook page
o selected two strategies/techniques they want to apply in their own classrooms
Stage Procedure Materials Time
Warm up Welcome participants and thank them for coming. 10
minutes
Tell teachers that you are going to start with a short getting to know you more
activity (Guess Who?)
F divides the class in half, and distributes a sheet of index paper to
participants. F gets the participants to write a fact down which makes
them unique: a talent, a hobby, physical appearance, garment
F alternates between teams in reading the other teams’ cards, and asks
each team to guess which member of the opposing team wrote that card.
F awards one point for each correct guess, and encourages the
participants to elaborate on what they wrote on the card.
The group which gets the most points is announced as the winner.
ICQs:
- What are we going to write on the sheet of paper?
- Are we going to write something which is unique to us?
- For example?
- What are you going to do then (after writing a fact down which makes you
unique?
- Are you going to guess your group members’ names?
Review Each participant will be given another sheet of paper on which the letters 20
of the alphabet were written vertically down on the left side. minutes
(Alphabet Lists)
F asks what the previous PDC was about.
F gives the participants only 4 or 5 minutes to write words they associate
with the topic starting with every letter of the alphabet (i.e. for “Formative
Assessment”, A for “assessment” etc).
When the time limit is up, participants will have incomplete alphabets/
letters.
F asks the participants to get up and introduce themselves to another
participant and trade with that person one missing word before moving on
to someone else.
After some time, participants will eventually have completed their
alphabets and met almost everyone in the class.
If needed, some of the letters in the alphabet can be highlighted (or
written larger than the rest) or the letters which are to be completed can
be limited in number (i.e: at least 20 letters) so that the facilitator avoids
time limitation.
F asks for a few volunteers to read their alphabet lists. At this point,
F clarifies some of the activities/games having been applied during the
previous PDC and discuss the questions:
- How did the students respond to the techniques you tried?
- Which technique you tried was the most successful in assessing students?
- Was there anything which didn’t work while implementing the techniques?
When needed, F clarifies his role – reminding the participants that he is
not a trainer and that the idea of a PDC is learning as a result of co-
operation, sharing ideas and working together to solve common
local problems.
ICQs:
- What are you going to write about?
- Are you going to write about assessment?
- Does the word have to start with the letters of the alphabet?
- What will you do when the time is up?
- What will you do before you trade with the missing word?
- How many letters of the alphabet are to be completed?
- What skill is highlighted in the first and the second activity?
F discloses the topic of the third PDC meeting: WRITING
F asks whether the participants have liked the activities and whether
these activities can be applied in writing sessions.
Engage and F divides the participants into 5 groups so that he allocates each group 30
Share
one letter of the English teacher Agony Aunt, Abby. Sentences minutes
F asks the participants to read their letters and think about the problems
each sender experiences within their groups.
F asks the participants to write a speedy response and give her some
advice in 4 minutes.
F asks the participants to stick the letters and their related responses on
the walls.
F conducts a gallery walk in groups and asks the participants to tick their
favourite reply.
F conducts feedback asking whether they have read any useful
tips/suggestions and elicits their answers.
After the gallery walk is completed, F asks the participants:
Did you like the game?
Could you use it with your own students in your classes?
Reflect and Apply 20
Evaluate (and minutes
F divides the participants into 4 groups.
APPLY)
F allocates a page about a writing task from coursebook page.
- One task from MoNe Coursebook for 9th Graders – Theme 2 – My
Environment, p.30
- One task from MoNe Coursebook for 10th Graders – Theme 1 – School Life, p.
22
- One task from MoNe Coursebook for 11th Graders – Theme 3 – Hard Times, p.
41-42
According to the solutions brainstormed earlier, groups think of how to
adapt the tasks.
F assures that they share their ideas in groups and write down possible
solutions to adapt the tasks into their writing classes so as to make them
more applicable and avoid common problems on writing.
ICQs:
- Are you going to investigate the writing tasks assigned to your group?
- Are you going to make more applicable to your writing sessions?
Reflect
Dicebreaker
F asks participants to throw the dice one at a time to answer the
questions which are assigned to specific number on the dice.
1 Share your favourite writing activity.
2 Tell the group which is the most common problem to you in accordance
with writing?
3 Tell one possible solution to the problems we face in writing sessions.
4 Which activity are you planning to apply in your class?
5 Which activity is applicable in your teaching writing?
6 Which activity is not applicable in your class?
Closing Thank teachers for attending. 10
remarks minutes
Remind teachers that they should complete the Immediate Reflection Form
Tell teachers that you will send a reminder on the whatsapp group about 1 week
before the next meeting.
