Macmillan Online Teachers Day Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Speaker: Louise Connolly, Head of Educational Consultants Department, Macmillan, Spain.
• Welcome to the third round of the Macmillan online Teachers Day for pre-primary and primary teachers.
• Purpose of the event: Ongoing quality teacher training.
• Celebrating 175th anniversary of Macmillan in publishing (founded in 1843).
• Competition on social media (Facebook and Twitter) to celebrate the anniversary.

Macmillan Advantage Scheme

• Access to various materials and resources for course users.
• Includes rubrics, recordings of events, and teacher training resources.

Event Interaction

• Encouragement for interaction between teachers and speakers.
• "Have Your Say" questions to engage participants.
• Use of hashtag #MacmillanOnlineTeachersDay for sharing experiences.

Introduction of Speaker: Carol Reid

• Carol Reid: Notable author of primary courses (e.g., Tiger) and methodology courses.
• Topic of discussion: The magic of storytime in English language teaching for children.

Importance of Storytelling

Key Points

• Stories provide context for natural language development.
• Foster imagination and narrative sensibility in children (Jerome Bruner).
• Stories help children construct identities and learn to tell their own stories (Alastair MacIntyre).

Reasons for Using Stories in Lessons

• Motivation: Engages children and encourages participation.
• Values Education: Teaches important values through narratives.
• Cultural Understanding: Introduces cultural elements through stories.
• Language Structure: Reinforces language patterns and structures.

Storytelling Methodology: Three-Stage Model

Stage 1: Pre-Storytelling

• Introduce key vocabulary and engage children with flashcard games.
• Contextualize the story and encourage prediction of events.

Stage 2: During Storytelling

• Focus on initial listening tasks and engage with the story using various methods (narration, audio, or video).
• Use of character voices and expressions to enhance engagement.

Stage 3: Post-Storytelling

• Check comprehension and encourage personal responses from children.
• Link the story to real-world contexts and values education.
• Transition from receptive understanding to productive use of language.

Practical Application

• Example story used: A story about a tiger and his sore paw.
• Activities include:
  • Asking predictive questions before the story.
  • Repetitive phrases that children can identify and repeat.
  • Incorporating songs related to the story for language retention.

Conclusion

• Stories as a tool to engage children's hearts and minds.
• Emphasis on practical, doable methods for teachers.
• Importance of integrating story-based learning into curriculum.

Final Notes

• Encouragement to share experiences and questions with Carol Reid.
• Reminder of the social media competition and Macmillan’s online resources.
• Transition to next speaker with a short break.