THIDA MEP Newsletter November 2014 - Virbmedia.virbcdn.com/files/2b/f28a878adeeca6d7-Thida...THIDA...
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THIDA MEP Newsletter November 2014 MEP Restaurants By: Teacher Jade This semester I've been trying to do a lot of projects with my class. Projects are a way for stu- dents to integrate what they've learned and use it in a meaningful way. In P5 we recently finished a project in which the students had to work together in groups of 3 to plan a vacation for our class. Students were given 1 week of time and an unlimited budget. The only re- striction was that the vacation couldn't be in Thai- land. The reasoning behind this restriction was that students would be forced to learn about other coun- tries. Once the students finished their itineraries, they gave short presentations to the class and showed pictures of the sites they planned to see on their vacation. One group planned for us to go to Japan, South Korea, Dubai, and the Maldives, all in 1 week! After the presentations, the students voted on which group had the best vacation. I think the students really enjoyed this project and it was a good way for them to use their English and learn about other cultures. Now that we've fin- ished that project, we've moved on to a new and big- ger project: the students are creating their own restaurants! Teacher Dave (P6) and I are working togeth- er to coordinate this project. Students from both of our classes will work in groups of 4 to create their own restaurants. Each group was given a cuisine to learn about. Each group will think of a restaurant name and create a menu with 5 meals, 2 appetizers, 2 drinks, and 2 desserts; the students will also need to include descriptions and prices for everything on the menu. Cuisines include countries such as Italy, Ko- rea, Japan, and Greece; 15 cuisines in total were giv- en but Thai food was excluded. Students are work- ing together in class and at home to research their cuisines on the internet. Once the students have finished creating their menus, they'll write, rehearse, and record short 30 second long commercials for their restaurant. Com- mercials should be funny, yet informative. Teacher Dave and I will record and edit the commercials. Once the commercials are finished, we'll have an in- class showing so the students can see each restau- rants' video. Next, we'll have the P5 and P6 classrooms turned into mock restaurants. Students will operate their restaurants by taking orders, describing dishes, and delivering meals to the other students who will be playing customers. This is meant to be a fun ac- tivity that gives students the opportunity to use meaningful language in a pretend restaurant environ- ment. It also allows them to use language they've learned throughout the course of the project. Once the project is completed, we'll have a food day in our classes. Groups will be awarded ex- tra points for bringing real food into class. For exam- ple: The Italian restaurant group should bring a dish found in Italian cuisine, while the group with Japa- nese cuisine should try to bring a Japanese dish. This is of course not mandatory and only for fun. We hope it will give the students an opportunity to try some of the different cuisines we have been dis- cussing. It's also a fun way to finish the project! Teacher Dave and I also plan to cook some Ameri- can food and bring it in for the students to try!
Transcript of THIDA MEP Newsletter November 2014 - Virbmedia.virbcdn.com/files/2b/f28a878adeeca6d7-Thida...THIDA...
THIDA MEP Newsletter November 2014
MEP Restaurants
By: Teacher JadeThis semester I've been trying to do a lot of
projects with my class. Projects are a way for stu-dents to integrate what they've learned and use it in ameaningful way.
In P5 we recently finished a project in whichthe students had to work together in groups of 3 toplan a vacation for our class. Students were given 1week of time and an unlimited budget. The only re-striction was that the vacation couldn't be in Thai-land. The reasoning behind this restriction was thatstudents would be forced to learn about other coun-tries.
Once the students finished their itineraries,they gave short presentations to the class andshowed pictures of the sites they planned to see ontheir vacation. One group planned for us to go toJapan, South Korea, Dubai, and the Maldives, all in1 week! After the presentations, the students votedon which group had the best vacation.
I think the students really enjoyed this projectand it was a good way for them to use their Englishand learn about other cultures. Now that we've fin-ished that project, we've moved on to a new and big-ger project: the students are creating their ownrestaurants!
Teacher Dave (P6) and I are working togeth-er to coordinate this project. Students from both ofour classes will work in groups of 4 to create theirown restaurants. Each group was given a cuisine to
learn about. Each group will think of a restaurantname and create a menu with 5 meals, 2 appetizers,2 drinks, and 2 desserts; the students will also needto include descriptions and prices for everything onthe menu.
Cuisines include countries such as Italy, Ko-rea, Japan, and Greece; 15 cuisines in total were giv-en but Thai food was excluded. Students are work-ing together in class and at home to research theircuisines on the internet.
Once the students have finished creating theirmenus, they'll write, rehearse, and record short 30second long commercials for their restaurant. Com-mercials should be funny, yet informative. TeacherDave and I will record and edit the commercials.Once the commercials are finished, we'll have an in-class showing so the students can see each restau-rants' video.
Next, we'll have the P5 and P6 classroomsturned into mock restaurants. Students will operatetheir restaurants by taking orders, describing dishes,and delivering meals to the other students who willbe playing customers. This is meant to be a fun ac-tivity that gives students the opportunity to usemeaningful language in a pretend restaurant environ-ment. It also allows them to use language they'velearned throughout the course of the project.
Once the project is completed, we'll have afood day in our classes. Groups will be awarded ex-tra points for bringing real food into class. For exam-ple: The Italian restaurant group should bring a dishfound in Italian cuisine, while the group with Japa-nese cuisine should try to bring a Japanese dish. Thisis of course not mandatory and only for fun. Wehope it will give the students an opportunity to trysome of the different cuisines we have been dis-cussing. It's also a fun way to finish the project!Teacher Dave and I also plan to cook some Ameri-can food and bring it in for the students to try!
THIDA MEP Newsletter November 2014
Teacher Spotlight!
Name: David Modini
Teaches: P6 MEP and P2 IEP
Previous jobs: A marketing company in New York and a hospital in Florida
How long have you lived in Thailand?: I have been in Thailand almost 2 years, but I lived in Surat for one year a few years ago.
Favorite western food: Pizza and buffalo chicken wings
Favorite Thai food: Pad Krapow, Tom Yum Goong, and Som Tam
Favorite place in Thailand: Besides Surat, I love Koh Mook and Pai.
Favorite animal: I like rhinoceroses and octopuses.
In Surat I like to: visit my friends, drive around on my motorbike, eat delicious food, and say hello to my students when I see them outside of school.
My hobbies: I like to make worksheets, drive around on my motorbike, hike, go to the beach, and see new places.
Favorite thing about Thida: I love when mystudents make me laugh in class. I also like to givemany, many high fives.
Sports Club
By: Teacher Jade
This term I chose to make my MEP club allabout sports. I did this last year in the 2nd term and itwas a real success.
Every Monday at 1:00 the students in myclub play different sports. We play games like sharkattack and capture-the-flag, as well as well-knowngames such as ping-pong (table tennis), badminton,and football.
This is a really fun club for me and thestudents. I always enjoy trying to beat different kidsin a game of pingpong or seeing how long we cankeep the shuttle in the air while playing badminton.Currently, a student from P4 and I are up to 56volleys of the shuttle! We're hoping to get 100before the school year ends.
