PlayadelCarmen,Mexico
AdaptedTeachingMethodforChildrenEducation
Objectives
Increasethelearningofstudentsineverylesson.
Encouragecreativitywithinthelessonplanningforthevolunteers.
Togothroughtopicsindifferentwaysandduringlongerperiodstoallowflexiblelearning.
Summary
AnewteachingmethodhasbeenusedforbothGreenActionsandEnglishLessonsacrosschildcare
projectlocations.Thisnewmethodcreatesaflexiblelearningenvironment,withvolunteersplanning
lessonsaroundonetopiceverymonth.
Report
SincethebeginningofAugust,anewteachingmethodhasbeenemployedwhenplanninganddeliv
eringGreenActions(i.e.lessonsabouttheenvironment)andEnglishLessons.Thisnewmethodre
quiresthestaffandvolunteerstocreatealessonplanbasedonagiventopicforthemonth.Thisplan
isstructured,alwaysbeginningwithanicebreakerandendingwithagoodbye.Thisstructureallows
formorecreativityandflexibilitythanthepreviousteachingmethod.
TheformerteachingmethodreliedheavilyonusingacomputersoftwareandtakingtheHublaptop
toeverylesson.Theclasswaschosenfromthesoftwareandplayedtothechildrenusingaflashcard
GVI.2017.2
styleoflearning.Followingthis,wasanactivityrelatingtotheflashcards.Thismethodseemedfruit
lessasthechildrendidnotretainasignificantamountofinformationthatwastaughttothem.The
repetitivenessofthelearningwasatechniquethatwasnotyieldingresultsandthuswaschangedto
thenewsystem.
Thissystemsetsoutthetopicspermonth,andallowsthevolunteersandstafftoworktothechildrens
individuallearninglevels,increatingtheplanforeachlesson.Thiswayeachchildslearningabilityis
abletobecateredfor.Theclassesbeginwithanicebreakerandendwithgoodbyes.Afterthelesson,
thevolunteerswriteupareportdetailinghowtheplanwentandwhathappenedduringthelesson.
Foranexample,thismonththetopicisautobiography.ForthefirstEnglishclassatLudoteca,the
volunteersinchargeofthislessonsettheobjectivestoteachthechildrenhowtoexpresssimplede
tailsaboutthemselvesinEnglish.Phrasesabouttheirname,age,andthingstheylikewerewrittenon
aboardandreadouttothechildren.Inturnthechildrencontinuedtogooverthesephrasesindivid
uallyandingroups,whilstalsowritingtheminabook.Afterwardsthechildrendiddrawingsofthem
selvesandhadfunintroducingthemselvesinEnglishtoeachother.
Toevaluatethemonthslessons,attheendthereisanexaminationtogooverthetopicagainwith
thestudents.Thisexamistogaugehowthechildrenretainedtheinformationandwhatareaneeds
tobeworkedonmoreforthenexttopic.Aswellasthis,thevolunteersrecapthepreviouslesson
beforeintroducingnewinformationtokeepitretained.
Whilstthisisstillonlyaverynewwayofteaching,ithasalreadyprovedwildlysuccessfulduetothe
responsefromthestudents.Thechildrenseemtobeenjoyingthelessonsbeingdeliveredmainlyby
peopleinsteadofthecomputer,andthevarietyanduniquenessthevolunteersbringtotheplans.
Figure 2. GVI volunteers delivering English Lessons to kids of last grade of Contando con un Amigo.
GVI.2017.2