Games, pictures, audio and video content. Multimedia. This is what the internet offers to educators all around the world. A lesson should be concise yet jam packed with information the students need to absorb.
It should encapsulate all the important elements but be presented in a way that would not saturate the learner's mind which can later cause little attention given to the lesson by the students. Little attention given to lessons can hinder retention of the information being presented.
The internet abounds with multimedia materials that can help stimulate and capture the attention of learners, young and old alike. Knowing which materials can help facilitate classroom activities is a plus for educators.
Authentic materials are materials not made for classroom use but can be used for classroom activities and achieve the same effect as usual classroom materials do. What are some examples of authentic materials?
Songs - Popular songs can be used to teach lessons such as usage of prepositions or conjunctions. Finding rhyming words in songs can also be an activity that learners can do.
Online articles - "How to..." articles can be a great way to test for children's skills on following instructions. Giving them a list of instructions and having them come up with the finished product successfully can help educators measure their accuracy in reading skills through this product-based activity.
Videos - Some video clips of famous poems or classic works are available in the internet as well. Plays from Shakespeare like Romeo and Juliet are easily available in many different interpretations from which teachers can choose from.
For those who do not have interest in reading, presenting them with videos on selected plays or short stories can deliver the lesson as well. Though originally made for entertainment purposes, these videos can relay what the text contains through the scenes portrayed.
The internet is a place full of resources and innovative ideas on how educators can make the learners' classroom experience more meaningful and exciting. However, teachers must exercise caution as well when choosing materials.
Educators should take time to see the quality of the materials they are about to use inside the classroom and see these can be deemed student-friendly and can be truly considered as helpful authentic materials.
Through using resources found on the internet, educators can be both effective and efficient as the materials they use can cut discussion time in half while engaging the students' attention.