TLS - Week#1 Assignment

TLS - Overview & References

Week#1 Assignment:
Write a short blog post (about 1 paragraph) about our Week#1 'acquaintance jigsaw' TLS activity. What did you think as a participant?  How could you adapt the structure of this activity to your teaching context

    Acquaintance jigsaw was fun and interesting. Although I sit with other 11 teachers and it was my fourth day of the program, I didn't have a chance to get to know each other so much. I know some of them: names, or their faces... etc. However, it is a little hard to make chance to talk with other teachers about myself or them. So, this is a good activity for knowing each other. Giving some questions in advance, I think, it keeps students asking questions and make the activity more fun and busy. If I didn't have any example questions, I must be very busy improvising some questions which could have resulted in less communication. Moreover, by mixing people two times, it gives students some physical activity which would make them meet new people and keep them awake. 

    My participants were so nice and willing to talk about themselves. They talked in so active and fun way, then I could enjoy the jigsaw more. It was shame that there was time limit. I totally forgot about it.

    I want to use this activity in my first or second class of the year. It could make some ice-breaking time for students and they can get to know each other with simple example questions. If they have high level of English, they can make further questions, but if they are not good at English, at least I ask students to use some English word that could describe them. Some of the questions could be rather private for students to say, but with simple and light questions should give them time for being friends.