Grammar on the Go and Beyond!: Pearson Modular Grammar Powered By Nearpod
Today we are challenged in ways we have never been before. We are preparing to deliver classes both online and face-to-face. In our remote instruction, we are constantly seeking out tools that are accessible to our students as well as looking for ways to do those quick, formative checks in a digital environment. While in our face-to-face classes, we are often seeking out ways to deeper engage the iGeneration, and make lessons more appealing, yet just as effective. To complicate matters even more, costly texts often do not address all our student learning outcomes, leaving us to seek out additional materials. These challenges can be overcome. The Pearson Modular Grammar Course Powered by Nearpod was developed to meet and address these challenges. So, what exactly is it?
Pearson Modular Grammar Powered by Nearpod is a library of grammar lessons built on Nearpod’s student engagement platform. Teachers can select the lessons they want to deliver in their classroom by adding them to their library. Once in your library, you can customize the lesson. By adding, deleting, or modifying the content you can give your students a truly tailored learning experience.
The Pearson Modular Grammar Course Powered by Nearpod is organized by units. Within a unit there are several lessons. For example, the present time. This unit is organized around the theme of ‘Here and Now.’ There are four lessons within the unit, and every unit opens up with a section opener, and ends with a section closer. Take a look at the graphic below.
Once again, any of the content can be added to, or modified to meet the needs of your learners.
Activities and tasks are engaging. They include Collaborate!, a collaborative discussion board, matching, fill-ins, polls, open-ended tasks, draw-it activities, games, and more. In summary, the flexibility and adaptability make the Pearson Grammar Modular Course Powered by Nearpod an excellent tool to supplement your current instruction, both in a face-to-face class and online, as well as in synchronous and asynchronous instruction.
You can learn more here.
To experience the Pearson Modular Grammar Course Powered by Nearpod yourself, contact your sales specialist and ask for a demo. Find your rep here.
Reducing Cognitive Load
As teachers, we are trained to focus on activities that are communicative and task-based. Grammar practice, particularly at the sentence level, often brings associations of rote drills and repetition. However, Zoltan Dornyei (2009) points out that communicative language teaching is based on learning by doing and does not look at how people actually learn. Some second language researchers have turned to cognitive science to look at what is happening in the adult brain as we learn, and findings related to memory and skill acquisition have important implications for how we practice the skills.
This article discusses the concept of cognitive load.
Our working memory (think of this as our immediate memory) has capacity limits. Basically, we can’t handle as much information as had previously been believed. New research on learning tells us that students benefit if we can reduce the cognitive load.
Scientist used to think that 5-7 chunks* of information could be held in our working memory. But new research tells us that two to four chunks are more realistic. The implication for teachers is that we need to break our explanations into more manageable chunks for our students. In practical terms, one of the things we can do is to introduce less information at one time. You’ll see this in the fifth edition of the Azar-Hagen Grammar Series. Long charts have been broken up into smaller ones. Here’s an example from the Fundamentals of English Grammar, Fifth Edition:
Previously, this introduction to articles was in a two-page chart. Now there are two new charts, and we have simplified the explanations. We also use pictures to illustrate the concept of specific and non-specific. This is more manageable and user-friendly for students.
As you will see in the new editions of the Fundamentals of English Grammar and Understanding and Using English Grammar, the presentation of material in the grammar charts helps reduce the cognitive load. Breaking down explanations and exercises into shorter pieces or sub-tasks helps reduce the working memory load, allowing learners to absorb material better.
*A chunk is a single unit. Think of a phone number. There are 10 digits or 10 unrelated numbers. But we can group phone numbers into 3 chunks to make it easier to remember.
References:
Dornyei, Zoltan. 2009. The Psychology of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Stacy Hagen is a teacher, a teacher trainer, and the co-author of the best-selling Azar-Hagen Grammar Series. The most recent edition of Fundamentals of English Grammar is now available. pearsoneltusa.com/azar
Transform your grammar instruction with the Pearson Modular Grammar Course Powered by Nearpod
By Gosia Jaros-White, Marketing Manager, Pearson ELT USA
Pearson is excited to announce a new partnership with Nearpod, a student engagement platform built to make teaching with technology easy. Using Nearpod’s student-centric, mobile-friendly platform, we are releasing the first level of Pearson Modular Grammar Course Powered by Nearpod, a customizable supplementary grammar course.
The Pearson Modular Grammar Course Powered by Nearpod offers high-quality curated grammar content developed by grammar subject matter experts. The structure of the course offers more targeted content that will allow programs to not only create the “playlist” of grammar learning objects that meet their course student learning outcomes but also a course that aims at meeting the personalized needs of students and institutions.
The Pearson Modular Grammar Course Powered by Nearpod can be used as a supplement to any grammar, integrated skills or test prep course. The first (intermediate) level has just been released, and more levels are planned for release later this year.
Nearpod’s user-friendly, interactive design enables faculty to connect with learners and deliver highly interactive experiences, improving participation, engagement, and academic effectiveness. Nearpod allows instructors to reach and engage learners in more compelling ways in any learning environment—in classroom and at home, both synchronously and asynchronously.
The winning features of the Pearson Modular Grammar Course Powered by Nearpod
Customized grammar curriculum with compelling content
High-quality curated grammar content created by Pearson grammar subject matter experts is organized into grammar modules that can be easily accessed and combined for a unique curriculum that meets students learning outcomes. Instructors can also easily add their own content with interactive features.
Student engagement like you’ve never seen before
With the Pearson Modular Grammar Course Powered by Nearpod, students engage with content, using their own devices in a dynamic and interactive way. Instructors can monitor learning, observe activities, and personalize content based on students’ needs.
The Nearpod platform delivers a rich collaborative experience and content that captures students’ attention, keeping them engaged and focused, and minimizing off-task behavior.
- Nearpod VR immerses learners into the lesson with virtual field trips and is a perfect tool for presenting grammar in context.
- Instructors can share content and assessments in real-time. Quizzes, interactive activities, slideshows, and videos allow for highly interactive and engaging practice.
- Live group discussions and polls allow for collaborative experience, even in remote settings.
- Formative assessments and instant feedback give students opportunities to demonstrate progress.
- Detailed post-lesson reports allow for progress tracking and lesson planning.
Reaching every student on his/her learning journey
The flexibility of the Nearpod platform takes a lot of the stress and planning out of individualized and differentiated instruction. The program can be used in a lab, small group or whole instruction, for project-based learning, and more! Plus, it’s easy to duplicate and edit lessons for when instructors need to provide modified versions for some students.
Seamless integration
Learners can access their grammar course on most devices, operating systems, learning management systems (LMSs), and web browsers. Nearpod easily integrates with Canvas, Blackboard, Google, Schoology, and Office 365.
Perfect tool for distance learning
The Pearson Modular Grammar Course Powered by Nearpod supports online teaching and learning, addressing both the issue of student engagement and the need for high quality content that instructs, engages, and informs.
Student-centered learning experience can be delivered in both live lessons and as a self-paced independent work. With the Pearson Modular Grammar Course Powered by Nearpod, learning is always collaborative and social, even while remote. Finally, the course can be delivered via many LMSs or with web-based conferencing tools for synchronous instruction. Learn more about the Pearson Modular Grammar Course Powered by Nearpod here.
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