1. Nadejda Rahmanova Uzbekistan,Namangan September22-November3
My portfolio
Nadejda Rahmanova
Uzbekistan,Namangan
September22-November3

2. Contents I- introduction Personal information Reflections/impressions
Photo collage
II- 5 Lesson plans
III-5 Strategies and strategies of other TEA participants
IV- Research mini proposal
V - Miscellaneous

3. Personal information
Hello , my name is Nadejda Rahmanova. One man once said: “What will others say about you if you cannot tell yourself about yourself?” Well, I’m an English teacher from Namangan, Uzbekistan. I was born on January 2, I’ve been teaching English for almost 6 years and I really enjoy it. I have a 7-year-old son, Leonid, and I have been patiently waiting for him to start going to school and be ready for me to leave him for almost two months. I’m glad that he understands my wish to gain more experience and see the USA! As for my work- I teach English to 9-12 grades at regional Academic Lyceum Dustlik in Namangan. I am a secretary of NamUzTEA branch (Uzbekistan teachers of English Association) and a constant participant at its annual conferences at the capital, as well as Forum conferences held in spring. I also have participated at several workshops lead by PCVs and other specialists from the USA. Three times I participated in republican the best English teacher of the year competition as a regional winner. I’m always open to something new and interesting, anything that might be useful at my work or worth teaching to my students. I like challenges and eager to expand my experience. That’s why I try to take part in any course available. Thus I successfully completed two on-line courses two years ago: -        iEARN Distant learning course -        Business English international on-line course At my lyceum I’m responsible for developing and improving curriculum, conducting workshops for other English teachers, sharing news and information got from UzTEA and conferences, teaching gifted students to prepare them for regional and national Olympiads in English, Resource center and I’m also engaged into the staff aware of integrating computer/ internet into the lessons. All these require lots of knowledge and skills and experience, but I do feel some lack of it. That causes me to constantly work on myself and achieve higher levels at teaching and learning English as well .I want to get Master’s Degree and be able to teach students at Universities to make the future generation of my country better and more intelligent and eager to build a wonderful country-Uzbekistan. I’m interested in lots of things: chess, hiking, table tennis, foreign languages (Uzbek, French, English, German), internet searching, psychology, horoscopes, reading (Russian literature, philosophic stories, books by O’Henry and H.L.Borhes, novels about love and life), and of course-making up my own poems in Russian(some of you already know that I’ve recently published a book of my verse called Luch Nadejdi- a Beam of Hope). I’m very happy to be a part of this great program-TEA, and of this great team from 11 countries.

4. Pictures with GMU and JEB Stuart High School teachers
These are the pictures of my native city Namangan and my lyceum where I work, and also a picture of mine in a national dress.
Pictures from fieldtrips to Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Mount Vernon
Pictures with GMU and JEB Stuart High School teachers
Dr Steely ,IREX and other
TEA participants
The BEST Head of ESOL department
I’ve eve met-Ruth DeJong and my wonderful mentor teacher Susan Parker
Dr Woody(Leadership)
Intensive technology training
experts- Abel, Sumanth, Mohan
MrGeorge Flowers
(WATESOL Conference)

5. My reflections and impressions of TEA program, GMU and JEB Stuart High School
George Mason University is great!!!!Our teachers there- Dr Steely and Dr Shahrokhy are so experienced, kind and helpful!!! They provided us with laptops(one for each room at the hotel-so that we could do our assignments and write letters and reports in the evenings and on Sundays when we have our days off).I really like the program which they give to us: twice a week we go to school, twice a week we have computer-technology classes and  three times a week we have lectures/trainings/workshops at GMU, once a week we have special guest-lectures, and on Saturdays we have extra curriculum activities-field-trips (October 4- we went to WATESOL Conference in Annandale, October 11- Baltimore and Annapolis (we were at dolphin show and inner harbor-they were incredible!!!), October 16- Philadelphia, October 18 -to the Smithsonian, October 25- to Mount Vernon!!!)-the organizers of the program really make our staying here sufficient, enjoyable and unforgettable. The topics and the lectures they choose are so interesting, new and indispensable at our future work as teachers that I can’t stop admiring all the things and knowledge and experience I earn every day.
Our computer training also is something incredible: the trainers (Sumanth, Abel, Mohan) explain Microsoft programs in such a way that I can make wonderful things on computer myself when just shown once!!! As if I’ve always had that knowledge and skills. Now I can create documents in Word, Power Point, Excel, my web-page and all that I managed to learn for only 3-4 weeks! They are magicians!!! And I was able to make this portfolio myself after all!!
As for the school we go to -nine of us were arranged to go to JEB Stuart High School at Falls Church -it is also something unexpectedly great for me: each our day there is so well planned by Ruth De Jong (the head of ESOL Department at that school)- we visited the meeting of community teachers on assessment system, we had a college career development meeting, we trained at PLATO lab to get acquainted to the new electronic system of teaching reading skills, we have an opportunity to observe 5-10 different lessons a day of different teachers of ESOL department(not only those of our mentor-teachers ),we also enjoyed the pap rally at school on Friday, we visited a typical American house of one of the mentors, we got information about Special Education and AVID, how to use OHP and Smart Board…And our mentors give us so many materials on lesson plans and strategies, handouts, assessment system at school, WIDA info, and many others. All the teachers at ESOL are so kind and helpful and ready to share everything they know and do, they are wonderful! My mentor teacher, Susan Parker, taught me a lot how to teach literature in English and helped me so much to prepare and conduct my lessons in her classes with American students. Those lessons are unforgettable experience of once being a part of this big system of education in this big country of great opportunities. I really love to be TEA participant and I’m so proud to be allowed to show what I know and what I learned here.

6. Lesson plans Lesson#1 PLANNING PHASE Topic: Adverbs and proverbs
PLANNING PHASE
Topic: Adverbs and proverbs
Identify Performance Objectives
1. students will recall and remember better and know how properly to use English adverbs
2. students will work with proverbs and will try to remember most of them
3. students will develop their speaking and reading skills
Lesson Outline
Content-90 minute-lesson
National/State/Local Standards
 TEACHING PHASE
Preparation
Warm-up activity-
Various adverbs are written on the big poster which is placed on the wall. Students in teams try to group those adverbs by underlying each with a definite color ( adverbs of manner/ time/ frequency, etc.)
Prior knowledge
Miming adverbs: each student is given an adverb(on a piece of paper) and in turns students act in according with that adverb. The class tells the student at the blackboard to write something/to go to the door/open the book, anything, and the student does it in appropriate way(slowly, angrily, etc.)
Language Goals :
vocabulary- more adverbs, new words from proverbs
structure- recognise adverbs by their placement in proverbs
communicative language-integrated skills, group and pair activities
Presentation
Students(3-5 volunteers) at the blackboard tell in turns any proverbs or idioms in English they know
Students (the whole class)study the list of proverbs and idioms (10-20 proverbs with explanations or examples)
Activities –
Four skills: listening and reading-
Teacher reads out examples and students must find appropriate proverb from their lists
Speaking –students in groups try to come up with one situation on any chosen proverb(preferably from their own experience) and then share it with the class
Practice
1.paper on the overhead projector with incomplete proverbs( some have the beginning but not the ending,others have only the end but not the beginning).Students in groups discuss and complete the proverbs and the teacher writes down the answers on that paper.
2.in pairs (the lists of proverbs are put aside so that the students cannot cheat)- students try to recall as many proverbs and write them down as they can:1)containing “all/well/man/any adverbs”,2)names of animals/numerals/it/adverbs”,3)having the comparative degree/consisting of two rhyming parts/including repetition /adverbs. Share the results to the whole class
Evaluation
1.for participating in each activity students are given reward-cards-points-which are counted by the end of the lesson and added to their mark
2.reading,speaking and writing skills are evaluated
- Other Activities:
- Follow-up
if we have extra time-students will write equivalents to the English proverbs in their native languages
Homework assignments - choose one of the following:
Illustrate 3 favourite proverbs from the lesson
Compose a short dialogue containing at least 5 idioms or proverbs
Recall your personal experience and write a short situation on one of the proverbs
 Use of technology- overhead projector
Materials used-
Posters with adverbs,paper with incomplete proverbs,list of proverbs,reward cards

7. Lesson# lesson plan#3
PLANNING PHASE
Identify Performance Objectives
1.develop critical thinking of the students
2.check students’reading skills
3.enforce speaking skills through discussion
Lesson Outline
Content
1-bell work
2- prior knowledge and personal experience
3-reading the text in turns
4 – discussion
5- working on vocabulary and literature terms
6-post-reading activities: writing a paragraph “how do I use my time?”
National/State/Local Standards
 TEACHING PHASE
Preparation
Warm-up activity-bell work on inventors and inventions(match and make up sentences)
Prior knowledge
Ask questions:
How do you think those people lived? What was their usual day like?
What is yours?
Do you have any dreams or goals to reach?
 Language Goals (vocabulary: manage, audience, priority, suspicious)
(structure –word order in sentences)
 Presentation
Activities –
Four skills: speaking, reading, writing
Practice
1.reading the text
2.discussing the suggested theme
3.writing a paragraph
 Evaluation
1. correct sentences in bell work-2 cards
2. correct reading(pronunciation and intonation) – 2 reward cards
3. at least 2-3 phrases incorporated into discussion-1 card
4. well-written paragraph- 3 cards( for writing-1 card)
Expansion/Extension
1. write 5 most important things in your life now
 Methods/Approaches/Strategies
Prediction and appeal to personal experience, visualization(by drawing on the whiteboard), making inferences(of unfamiliar words or notions), summarizing.
Other Activities:
Homework assignments: write an essay/a paragraph on how you see your life in 10 years.
Materials used-whiteboard, a fable from Forum-2002,a sheet with pictures for bell work.
Intern: Rahmanova Nadejda Grade Level: esol level 1C
Title: Time management Date: 29 october 2008
Objectives
Introduce fables to the students
Develop speaking skills
Develop writing skills
Lead students to be able to manage their time and reach their goals
Materials for Learning Activities
Journal Forum(volume 20), white board and markers
Procedures for Learning Activities
Discussion:
What is a fable ? Do they know any examples? What are important things in life? Do they have any dreams or goals? Do they know how to make it come true? Will they have enough time for that? What is “time management”?
New vocabulary: fable/audience/crowd/pebbles/suspicious(not trusting,hesitating)/priorities(sth that needs attention,consideration,service before others)/achieve(ment) (to gain as the result of action, to finish successfully)
Read the text, Fable#1 The Rocks, out in turns. I’ll draw the illustration on the whiteboard meantime. Discussion while reading.
Discussion : what does it demonstrate?
Discuss the moral: why did I give that story to them?
Write a short paragraph “how do I use my time? What is the most important for me now?”
Assessment:
Grades for participation in discussion and for the written paragraph.
Differentiation
No group or pair work, active participation from everyone is required both in discussion and writing tasks
Homework:
Write an essay/a paragraph on “how I see my life in ten years?”
Reflection
( to be attached later)

8. Lesson#4 Lesson plan#5 Names Dates Field of study Published works
PLANNING PHASE
 Identify Performance Objectives
The students will get to know with the famous American writer Edgar Allan Poe Improve reading skills(skimming, pronunciation, intonation, working on vocabulary and elements of literature)3) Develop speaking skills through discussion4) Halloween’s coming discussion
5) experience the work of their heart through authentic video (from my camera)
Topic of the lesson: The Tell-Tale Heart
Contents:
Before-reading activities:
Questions: what do you think small children are most afraid of?(the dark/large strange animals/sudden loud noises/things they do not understand?) Are older people afraid of the same things? Do most people talk easily about their fears?
How are they going to frighten somebody tonight(at Halloween)? Why will they do this and why they won’t?
Skimming and vocabulary: (p.40 #4)-take 60 seconds to skim the text(quickly read the first 2/3 sentences of each paragraph). Look at the three groups of words provided and decide which group fits the general idea you got from skimming the story – A,B, or C?
Show them the video I took in Philadelphia Franklin Institute inside the artificial heart
Reading activities-
I read paragraphs aloud(1-3 parag.)
Students start reading in turns
Post reading activities:
In written-Tests A on pp48-49(understanding the main ideas- cause and effect),peer checking ,oral checking
Discussion C: 1-the old man was dead but theyoung man believed that he could hear the old man’s heart beating. Why? 2- what do you think will happen to the man after the police take him away? 3- do you enjoy horror stories or movies? Why?
Home work : write a Police Report following the instructions in the handouts
TEACHING PHASE
Preparation Warm-up activity-discussions and the video
Presentation Activities :
Four skills: listening-parts #1 and 2 of the lesson, speaking –parts #1 and 3 of the lesson, reading – part #2 of the lesson, writing- parts # 3 and 4 of the lesson
Practice 1.reading2.discussion3.post reading activities
 Evaluation 1. Tests A Police report
Expansion/Extension
1. Other post reading activities provided in the book(pp 49-52)
Methods/Approaches/Strategies:
Using authentic materials, communicative approach, reading strategies
Use of technology digital camera of mine
Materials used- American short stories book with the story of E.A.Poe”The Tell-Tale Heart”
Intern: Rahmanova Nadejda Grade Level: esol level 2
 Title: Famous people of Uzbekistan and their input into the world science and literature Date: 10/17/2008
I. Objectives
-to introduce famous people of my country to American students
-develop students’ reading skills (scanning and skimming)
-develop students’ speaking skills
-encourage group work
II. Materials for Learning Activities
A grid to fill in the facts, texts about famous people(see attached)
III. Procedures for Learning Activities
introduction( about Uzbekistan)
Engage previous knowledge
Model the group activity
jigsaw group activities( groups A/B/C working accordingly with texts about Mirzo Ulugbek/Alisher Navoi/Al-Khorazmiy; groups A+B+C,A+B+C,A+B+C):
scan the text, look for the necessary information, fill in the lines in the grid, share within the group, exchange groups and share the information to complete the grid; present the information on each person
IV. Assessment
My own reward cards: for active participation and being the first/correct with every task a student gets a reward card.at the end of the lesson depending on how many cards students have they get their grades.
V. Differentiation
The first three groups were spread according to the seats(1/2/3rd rows),the second group division was done in jigsaw manner(see above)
VI. Reflection
At first some students were reluctant to do anything for the unfamiliar teacher, but gradually they got interested in the topic and the procedure and the assessment system I used and as the result, the lesson appeared to be good and all the objectives to be reached. I also got positive feedback from the students.
Names
Dates
Field of study
Published works
Great achievements
Alisher Navoi
Mirzo Ulugbek
AlKhorazmiy

9. Strategies strategy#1 Strategy#2
Name of method or strategy:
Bell work
When is this method or strategy useful?
At the beginning of each lesson
Why or how is this method or strategy useful?
It helps to draw students’ attention to the lesson immediately after the bell,helps students to shift onto the English language smoothly and without delay,helps to get students ready for the main objectives of the lesson
What are the steps involved in using this strategy or method?
Before the lesson begins the teacher distributes appropriate handouts for the bellwork so that as soon as students come they will begin doing the tasks.
Tasks may vary: either they will touch grammar exercise or vocabulary, or the topic of the previous lesson. Usually it should be not a difficult and boring one.
 When would this method or strategy be useful in your setting?
Now I’ll try to use it every time.All I’ll have to do is to adapt proper tasks for my students.
What would you like other teachers in your school to know about this method or strategy?
It is the best alternative for the usual ”good morning/sit down” beginning of the lesson in most ex-soviet countries.
Name of method or strategy: Word wall When is this method or strategy useful? In learning new vocabulary Why or how is this method or strategy useful? In a formal vocabulary program throughout the year What are the steps involved in using this strategy or method? Words need to be posted on a wall to help students remember them and to remind teacher and students to use them throughout the year. Words can be put in alphabetical columns or posted in groups as they were learned. Teacher or students can be charge of adding the words. When would this method or strategy be useful in your setting? Each week a chapter from the vocabulary book is posted. Periodically lists can be reviewed and students can be assigned to use appropriate words in their speaking or writing. What would you like other teachers in your school to know about this method or strategy? It is extremely easy and requires no special materials. The words or lists must be neat and large enough to read from a distance. It helps the teacher to remember to use the words as often as possible and keeps them in front of the students so they can really become part of their vocabulary. If they are in groups it helps students associate the words with topics.

10. Strategy3# strategy#4 #1-Corners
Process:pose a question that has multiple answers or ask students to rank order several options.Give students time to consider their own thinking about the topic, they move to a corner of the room which has been designated as the meeting place of all those holding the same opinion.they discuss then report out for their corner.
Sample topics: which professions are most id demand now?/ which character in the book would you most like to meet?/name four inventions, which is most significant and why?/name four historical figures-who changed the world the most and why?
#2-Frame of reference
Purpose-these initial notations help students surface prior knowledge or related experiences. Process –the topic to be discussed is placed in the center of the matted frame( like darts). In five minutes students brainstorm about the topic-on the mat area of the frame.then they write who or what influenced their thinking and jot it down in the frame area of the graphic.students share frame of references with a partner or groups.
Variations: historical person in the center,and around-their lives /events/people. Or the same about students themselves.
#3-Graffiti
Process –write problems,formulas,sentences to be translated , ideas to brainstorm on pieces of large chart paper and post around the room. Students move in small groups from chart to chart.each group works on a different question/topic and writes responses/graffiti which can be short words,phrases,graphics on their chart paper.exchange the charts until all the charts are completed. Discuss.
Variation: at the beginning students may find out what they already know and can do; in the middle it is a useful way to check on their learning. At the end students may predict what will be on the exam.
Name of method or strategy:
Scanning/selective attention
When is this method or strategy useful?
When working with texts or any information (reading,writing,listening)
Why or how is this method or strategy useful?
It helps to focus on specific content information or vocabulary as students read/listen or write.
It develops reading skills, helps to memorize the information or the vocabulary.
It’s good for follow-on activities ( filling in grids, discussion, comparing)
What are the steps involved in using this strategy or method?
Distribute the texts among students (either pair/group work or individually)or turn on the tape in the recorder(actually it should follow the explanations) and give them the points to be focused on. For example, if it is the text on famous people-students will have to fill in the grid of different facts about them, and thus while reading students should look for those facts in their texts and jot down that information (either into the grids or into their notebooks).
As a follow-on activity teacher may use discussion/sharing the information, or group activities to complete the grid(jigsaw activity when each group had different information to look for and then to share with other groups)
When would this method or strategy be useful in your setting?
When working with texts or tapes, group work
What would you like other teachers in your school to know about this method or strategy? It really enables students to look for the necessary information themselves and be able to share it with their friends later, thus it also provides developing speaking skills sometimes.

11. Strategy#5 Strategies of other TEA participants
Name of method or strategy:
using overhead projector with pictures/sentences and blanks to fill in with markers
When is this method or strategy useful?
As a warm-up activity,as a presentational or practice part of the lesson
Why or how is this method or strategy useful?
To teach beginner level students,to develop speaking skills and critical thinking,to reinforce vocabulary,to drill spelling,for spatial and linguistic intelligent students,requires little preparational time and saves time on learning process(instead of writing the same on the board)
What are the steps involved in using this strategy or method?
(there are lots of possibilities to use the projector-this is only one of many)
Choose a transparent according to the theme or topic of the lesson(eg. Furniture/nouns/verbs)
Put it on the glass of the projector
Ask students to name the object and you write the word below the picture.
Ask students to suggest verbs(as many as possible) to apply to the objects in the picture,and again write down those verbs near the objects.
Sometimes ask students to spell the words/drill the correct pronunciation/write a sentence with the object and the verb in the picture into their note-books.
When would this method or strategy be useful in your setting?
Whenever it is possible for me to use a projector, to have appropriate transparent, mostly when I need to work with the vocabulary.
What would you like other teachers in your school to know about this method or strategy?
All that usefulness described above!!!
#1(Marina’s)
Name of method or strategy:
Project work
 When is this method or strategy useful?
It is useful as a way to revise and consolidate the material.
Why or how is this method or strategy useful?
It is so because it is tended to develop listening, speaking, reading. The students are given enough time to be prepared. Moreover, this method is to contribute to the students’ collaboration, group working. Also it helps them to work with references, develops the ability drive to conclusions and makes the decisions within a group. What are the steps involved in using this strategy or method?
The teacher is to arrange the plan of the future project in advance and to inform the students. The tasks are up to the teacher, but he/she should aim the student at them. For example, to use active vocabulary, cover this or that topic. After the presentation the listeners are to comment on the presentation from different aspects – manner of presentation, usage of vocabulary, sequences of speeches, emotional environment an so on.
When would this method or strategy be useful in your setting?
In the end of the unit. But it also helpful in the middle of the unit if the teacher is aimed at consolidation and revision of a definite set of the material.
What would you like other teachers in your school to know about this method or strategy?
It is very helpful to develop students’ independence in communication, be able to express negative and positive views. But developing these abilities requires patience of the teacher and her/ his ability to manage the process.

12. continued #2(Rusudan’s) Name of method or strategy:
Dividing a group into 3 different working groups: (1) Small group; (2) Independent group; (3) Computer.
When is this method or strategy useful?
While conducting a reading lesson.
Why or how is this method or strategy useful?
It engages all students throughout a reading lesson. It is often difficult to get the attention of all the students during a reading lesson. So, this strategy helps a teacher to engage all the students in different group activities during the lesson.
What are the steps involved in using this strategy or method?
A teacher makes a list of the students already divided into 3 different groups (A, B, C). These groups are then divided by the working group activities: small group, independent group, computer group. At the same time, each group is assigned a different group activity.
When would this method or strategy be useful in your setting?
It will be really a useful tool while teaching reading.
What would you like other teachers in your school to know about this method or strategy?
I will introduce this strategy, and they will be able to use it during a reading lesson.
#3Name the method or strategy
Video viewing
2. When is this method or strategy useful?
It is useful if you have a short video on any topic in the curriculum.
3 Why or how is this method or strategy useful?
This method catches the interest of the children.It gives variation to a regular class. It develops children’s viewing and hearing abilities.They also need to be alert as they have to take down points.
4.What are the steps involved in using this strategy or method?
The teacher gives a summary of the topic to be viewed.He asks children to take down the main points as they view.The teacher discusses the film and the children take down what they have missed.
5.When would this method or strategy be useful in your setting?
It would be useful for any topic if the teacher is able to get a short film,no more than 20 to 30 minutes.The children can then be given a worksheet where they put down the information they have collected.
6.What would you like other teachers in your school to know about this method or strategy?
This method would would generate a lot of interest and vary a regural classroom teaching.But if overused,it could become boring and probably put children to sleep.

13. continued #4(Marina’s) Name of method or strategy: Foldable
#5(Lyudmila’s)
Strategies for Teaching Writing
Explain to students that writing is a process. Students should not expect to sit down and 30 minutes later have a finished product. All Write can serve as a handbook with good information about the writing process.
 It may be helpful to the students to begin the writing process as a class or in small groups. Begin the writing project by showing students examples of the form of writing the students need to produce. Another option might be to begin prewriting in groups.
 Have students explore where, when and how they write. For example, some students might prefer to write in a quiet library after school, while others might do most of their writing in their room at home with music playing. Some students prefer to write by hand, others on a computer. As students discuss their writing preferences, they can begin to take ownership of their personal writing process. You can use this activity as a class or group discussion or with the Sample Writing Anticipation Guide.
 It might be useful to have writing groups for, where each student reads his or her writing out loud to the other members of the group and solicits feedback. Alternately, students in writing groups can each be assigned a role in which they look at specific aspects of the piece, such as topic sentences, verb usage, or transitions.
 Try to incorporate vocabulary into writing as well as other units. Students could write a paragraph using a word bank of new vocabulary words, or to practice word families or different forms of words from the same root. Students could write a nonfiction piece or a fictional story. Students could work alone or in groups. You could also use this kind of writing as a tool for assessing vocabulary. Additionally, simple writing projects could provide opportunity for practice at peer response. You will find more tips on incorporating vocabulary into writing in Nonfiction Craft Lessons, pages 96 and 97.
Have the students begin the writing process by prewriting. The following chart lists some prewriting methods, as well as resources where you can find more information, if available. Inspiration and Think Sheets are two software programs that many schools have that are great tools for prewriting. Check with your school about accessing these programs. Pages (1998 edition) or (2003 edition) of All Write are dedicated to various prewriting techniques.
 Sample Peer Response Sheet 1
 Author name _________Essay title_____________________
Responder name _________ Assignment____________________
 Directions: Read the essay you have been given before completing this sheet. This peer response is worth 10 points. You will receive points for complete answers. Remember that your job is not to correct mistakes or to write the essay for the author. Your only job is to give the author an outsider’s perspective on his/her paper. If you cannot understand something well enough to summarize it here, then let the author know!
#4(Marina’s)
Name of method or strategy:
Foldable
When is this method or strategy useful?
Teachers use foldable to enhance the study of words in their classroom. After learners have been introduced to a concept, the teacher facilitates the construction and application of this three-dimensional organizer. As with all strategies, the creation process must be modeled .
Why or how is this method or strategy useful?
Learners retain more concepts due to the process of creation and manipulation
Learners enjoy working with new words and concepts
What are the steps involved in using this strategy or method?
Learners use foldables to create tangible containers for their new words in a useable and hands-on format. Of course, the strategy does not end with the construction. The foldable must be used in some format to show application. Learners created the Matchbook by laying multiple sheets on top of one another at staggered lengths and folding over. This strategy enables what appears to be a single sheet of paper to contain layers of information about words. Learners can organize words into different parts or even write details information on a specific word.
When would this method or strategy be useful in your setting?
It can be used not only esl classes you can use at any subject when you want your students have useful guide in their hand
What would you like other teachers in your school to know about this method or strategy?
This is strategy which really motivates your students to learn new information

14. continued #6 Name the method or strategy: Self-presentation
Part I: Complete the following checklist:
Does the essay have
_____ an introductory paragraph? _____ the required number of
paragraphs?_____ a concluding paragraph? _____ the required length? ____ an interesting title? _____ one inch margins?
 _____ 12 point Times New Roman type? (this peer response form is written in 12 points Times New Roman with one-inch margins)
 _____ a header with the author’s name, class period and the date?
 Part II: Introduction. Answer the following questions completely.
Does the introductory paragraph have a thesis statement? Underline the thesis statement in blue on the author’s paper.
Is the thesis statement well written (in other words, is it neither too general nor too specific, and does it give you a hint about the essay)? Tell why or why not.
 Does the introduction contain background information that prepares the reader for the thesis statement? Underline the background information on the author’s paper in green.
 Does the introduction grab your attention? Tell why it does or does not here.
 Sample Peer Response Sheet, continued
 Part III: Body. Answer the following questions completely.
Does each body paragraph have a topic sentence? Underline each topic sentence on the author’s paper in orange.
Does each body paragraph have at least 3-4 sentences giving an example to support the topic sentence? Write a one-sentence summary of each example here AND underline those sentences in purple.
Body paragraph 1
  Body paragraph 2
  Body paragraph 3
 Part IV: Conclusion. Answer the following questions completely.
Does the conclusion restate the thesis in different words? Underline the restatement on the author’s paper in yellow.
 Does the conclusion have 3-4 sentences that effectively end the essay using a method we discussed in class? Summarize the ending in one sentence here AND underline it on the author’s paper in brown.
  Part V: Other stuff. Answer the following questions completely.
Does the author use transition words or phrases at the beginning and end of each paragraph? Underline the transitions on the author’s paper in black.
On the essay, underline in red any sentences, phrases or words that do not make sense to you.
 Overall, what is the best part of this essay? (Be specific)
 Overall, what part of this essay needs the most improvement? (Be specific) #6
Name the method or strategy:
Self-presentation
When is this method or strategy useful?
When you get to know with a new group of students, at the beginning of school year or school term.
Why or how is this method or strategy useful?
It gives you an opportunity to know about your students as much as possible in a very short time and organize friendly relationships inside the group
What are the steps involved in using this strategy or method?
At the beginning you give your kids small separate sheets of paper and ask them to draw in a simple way three most important points of their character in a three or four minutes. When the pictures are ready you ask kids to put them on the walls or on the blackboard in the classroom. And afterwards you all have a gallery walk around the class. Some students guess each other according to the pictures, the others try to guess. And the teacher has a chance to see a piece of his kids’ inner world.
When would this method be useful in your setting?
When I begin to work with a new group of students, or if I’m asked to give a workshop to my colleagues in order to create a friendly atmosphere in the group.
What would you like other teachers in your school to know about this method or strategy?
It’s very helpful!

15. Continued Some posters and photos
Name of method or strategy#7
Field Trip to Philadelphia.
When is this method or strategy useful?
This method is used when the teacher covers materials in class about different topics from history or other. She can take students on field trip to see those places giving different tasks.
Why or how is this method or strategy useful?
When students learn different topics, seeing those things or places at the same time makes their understanding better. They can feel and see when they learn. Students find field trips fun and while the teacher also has tasks prepared for them.
What are the steps involved in using this strategy or method?
When the teacher decides to take students on a filed trip, s/he needs permission from the principal. H/se prepares tasks fro students, what s/he wants her students to observe or gather information about during the trip.
When would this method or strategy be useful in your setting?
This method will be very useful from my students as well. I have tried it once and it worked well. I will try to do it more often.
What would you like other teachers in your school to know about this method or strategy?
I will share this strategy with teachers of different subjects and I am sure they will also find it very useful.

16. Action research mini proposal
My name is Nadejda Rahmanova. I’ve been an English teacher for 6 years. I teach 10-12th grades at academic lyceum Dustlik#1 at Namangan Vocational Pedagogical Institute. There are about 1,500 students in our lyceum; each group consists of 30 students. According to the chosen direction of studying and the curriculum some groups have English classes 6 hours per week, others 4 or 2 hours only. But knowledge of English is indispensable criterion when entering our universities and institutes. That’s why I try to do all my best to help my students develop English skills, increase vocabulary and improve their grammar knowledge. Yet the time allowed at classes is not sufficient. The process of acquiring a foreign language appears to be not so easy and exciting for most of my students, and I’ve always been looking for something appropriate for them, something which would involve my students completely into the learning process and they would enjoy it. Gradually I came up with the idea of on-line projects with other schools from other countries. I became a member of iEARN (international education and research network) and took up two learning circles with a group of my students together with 10 other countries. I found out that my students got interested into those projects, they loved to get and send letters to other students from other countries. They were especially excited preparing a package to send to other schools and were so glad to get one from the USA. Their writing and speaking skills improved so much and so quickly! They even acquired basic computer skills due to that program. Unfortunately I had to give up my iEARN projects because of the end of the internet grant at our lyceum and also because of the fact that new groups of my students did not have enough competence even to read to say nothing about composing and typing letters in English on the computer…Last year the enrollment of students in our lyceum was of much better level and when I proposed to take up one of such projects (e-pals and pen-pals), my students immediately agreed and started learning English harder so that this year they would be able to take part in international collaboration Now I’m here, in the USA, studying EFL/ ESL research and assessment, designing portfolio and acquiring leadership skills. I think now I’m almost ready to conduct my own research in the field I’m completely interested in and which will help me a lot on my coming back to my country, to my lyceum, to my classes and to my students. So my research question is:
How can I organize on-line collaborative exchanges among EFL/ESL teachers and students in other schools and other countries?
The world becomes smaller day by day due to numerous and various international organizations, internet and means of communication. Meantime the world still remains rather enormous when you start thinking of other cultures, other nations, other religions and values. But not many would like to become a part of any collaborative work, they would prefer to stick to their own small world inside their city and country
. Not many people would love to reveal their thoughts and share their knowledge and experience with others; not many people would like to spend their time and perhaps money on internet to work for the project suggested. I’ll have to keep that in mind when I start working at my research question; I’ll also have to take into consideration my own lack of experience in this field and the fact that not many teachers and students would be able to take an active part at these collaborative exchanges in spite of their willingness to.
Eventually, I’ve come up with the following possible steps and ideas on how to conduct my research and how to implement it into practice in future:
Through interview I’ll find future partners among TEA participants in Virginia, Alabama and Nebraska;
I’ll get in touch with Tom Holmes, a teacher from South Dakota, who showed his interest in the same work of an international pen-pals project and who is already ready to work with me on it( he might be very helpful in most questions);
I’ll reregister into iEARN on-line and look for any appropriate suggestions on this topic in the internet (i.e. the work that is already being done or planned among teachers and students of the world);
Through interviews(oral or via-mail)we’ll discuss plausible projects and possible ways to organize and lead these on-line collaborative exchanges among us and our students;
I’m thinking of inviting the following people into this project: Tom Holmes(US), Ann Naurouz(US), Valeria(Ukraine), Lyudmila(Ukraine), Sojida(Uzbekistan), Svetlana(Kazakhstan), Sunita(India), Humoyun(Bangladesh);
Also on my coming back I’ll ask my students to make up a list of topics they would love to discuss and work on with other students from other countries; to describe themselves and make a summary of their life in lyceum and Uzbekistan and prepare a Power Point Presentation to share with other participants;
I would suggest doing the same to my colleagues, so that we could settle the initial project for our students and organize the whole work in such a way which will be appropriate, convenient and most useful for each participant of those on-line collaborative exchanges;
Perhaps some students would like to make video or prepare an electronic photo-album for other participants to see , and the other groups may follow them in that;
I’ll design a new web-page devoted to this project (thanks to our trainers at GMU on Intensive Technology Training) so that the results will be available for all participants in the quickest and most comfortable way.
As soon as this research work gets started and gets into the active process, I do hope that each participant will benefit a lot from that work and be able to share that experience with others, involving more and more newcomers, and therefore enriching our collaborative exchanges. I’d love to make this enormous, sometimes cruel, world smaller, pleasant, friendly, and amazing for as many people as possible. And what is now mostly important for me that this project will definitely improve English knowledge and skills of my students and help me (and other teachers I suppose) make the learning process for students easier, more interesting and provide sufficient evidence of rapid improvement of EFL/ESL skills.

17. Miscellaneous How can group work aid your teaching?
What elements are essential for successful group work?
After group discussion we came up with the following answer:
Time aspect- no more than minutes in one group(if you switch the groups like in jigsaw activity-it’s OK),but preferably this shouldn’t take much time at all
The frequency and the variety of tasks and activities
Element of competition
Model the activity (students should definitely know how they’ll work and what result is expected) or explain quite clearly
Enough handouts/materials for everybody in the group
Proper differentiation (level of knowledge, size of group, mixed groups, different activities)
Mind the objectives both of the lesson and the group work itself
Assessment- who and how will evaluate group work(the members themselves, the teacher, other groups)
Explain the benefits of group work to students
- Motivation for students to work in groups
“R”s- responsibility /respect/ relationship/ reliance/ reflection!!!
Planning stage: what activities to use//how long/handouts
Implementation stage - examples, explanation, everyone is involved
Assessment stage- get a feedback be sure that everybody contributed into the activity
Self evaluation
- The teacher should be encouraging and motivating
To have a checklist to concentrate on for the teacher(vocabulary ,grammar mistakes,creativity)
Set of rules(plus penalties for example for using Russian-green hand on the wall to touch)
Use some extra group activities at the end of the lesson as an alternative
How can group work aid your teaching?
A lot!!! I always use group work at my classes and sometimes it is indispensable to. So,
WHY do I need this strategy?
Because I have multi-level classes of students
Because I have students at a time and want everyone to work at the lesson at least a little
Because I do find it useful
Because I need to develop such skills of my students as reading and speaking skills
WHEN do I use group work?
As a warm-up activity
To present a new theme
To reinforce the presentation/ practice part of the lesson
When I especially need their speaking skills to develop
When there is a necessity in discussion
A project work
A problem solving activity
A role-play
HOW group work helps me?
To keep time management
To get involved as many students into the learning process as possible
To interest my students
To encourage communicative and cooperative skills among my students
To involve competition between students as a motivation

18. Thank you very much for your attention
It was a great pleasure to be a part of this great team of TEA participants, of IREX people, of GMU teachers, of JEB Stuart High School ESOL department teachers.
Dare to dream!
Never give up hoping for the best!
Nadejda Rahmanova
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