Using the site
The InThinking English B website is intended to provide a rich bank of resources to support English B teachers in all aspects of their teaching.
Site structure & navigation
Here is how to navigate among the various elements of the site:
Top band - at the top of the screen you will see all of the main sections - click on these to open each section
Side panel, left of screen - this provides a list of pages in the section... click on the little arrow to see more subordinate pages
Sitemap - on the Home page, at top left under your name, you will see 'Sitemap' ... clicking on this opena a graphic plan of the whole site. You can scan quickly and easily, select what looks interesting, and then open pages directly
Types of access - on the sitemap, at top left, you will see that pages are colour-coded according to the type of access, as follows
Teacher only - not available to students.
Direct student access - automatically available to students.
Filtered student access - available when you explicity select them for a group.
Right-hand panel - at the right of the screen you will see a column of small icons. These should be self-explanatory, but I draw attention particularly to 'Presentation mode' - this enables you to expand sections of a page full-screen, so as to project them for the whole class to see
Categories of resources
The resources in this site fall into four main categories:
Reference
... principally sections about IB documents which define and explore what is expected in an English B course. See particularly...
Subject Guide overview ... covering all of the major features of the current Language B Subect Guide
Assessment ... a section covering the main components of Language B assessment
Building a programme ... a section which covers and discusses various principles and issues which should guide the planning of an effective English B course. See especially...
Framework documents ... analysing and discussing various IB documents about general educational principles
... and see also the pages ATLs - core & ATLs - applications ... which introduce the important IB document 'Approaches to teaching and learning'
Techniques
... a wide range of ideas and suggestions about how to teach language well, both in terms of aims (what we should be teaching) and means (how we should be teaching). See particularly...
Techniques, Activities & Tasks ... a toolkit of transferable practical techniques, to be adapted and applied as necessary
Approaches... , which explores in detail the major IB document 'Approaches to teaching and learning' - the many subordinate pages provide detailed activities which put the principles of this document into practice.
Writing ... this section includes -
> varied approaches to teaching writing effectively, in general (see Teaching Writing )
> detailed ideas about teaching text types required by the IB (see Text type expectations )
> teaching fundamental writing purposes such as Description, Explanation, and so on (see Writing purposes )
Teaching materials
... concrete stimulus materials, along with ways to use them, ready to be presented to students. Such materials occur in many places in the site, but see particularly ...
Themes, 2018 onwards ... the largest body of teaching materials are related to the Themes required for study by the Subject Guide, including texts for reading, comprehension exercises (both on-paper and online), video & audio recordings, and more...
TOK, language & media ... this section provides masses of material to cover the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) element of the Language B programme - which overlaps, naturally enough, with issues raised in the whole field of media and communications
Student access
Students who are registered under the Student Access system (see STUDENT ACCESS ) have access to pages in two main ways: Direct and Filtered access.
Direct access: Reference ... certain sections are designed to provide basic information and instruction which students can access on their own, in order to check and revise their understanding. See particularly ...
Key Language Issues ... most pages in this section are designed to provide clear explanations of important aspects of grammar; and many have supporting quizzes to practise and embed the knowledge
Text type expectations ... this comprehensive and detailed analysis of what is required in writing the text types is open for reference purposes to both teachers and students
Filtered access: 'TASKS' ... many pages providing in-class teaching materials also have a version headed 'TASKS' - these contain the same materials presented in a form so that students can carry out the tasks online, on their own, in their own time. The tasks typically include (i) a Reading activity (with stimulus text, with comprehension exercises), and (ii) a Writing activity (drawing on the stimulus text, and practising a required text type). To illustrate, look at this pair of pages ...
Calçots explored (the in-class version), and TASKS Calcots explored (the online version)
** Once you have signed up your students for Student Access, it would be useful to refer them to this page -
Students start here ... which introduces the students to what they can find in the site - and in particular the 'Direct access' pages which they can use for their own reference and research
Combining the resources
The key principle underlying the selection of all these resources is that everything in this site should be adapted to the actual needs and interests of the students. This follows from fundamental IB documents: (i) the Language B Subject Guide does not contain any detailed syllabus of mandatory knowledge; and (ii) the document Approaches to teaching and learning emphasises the adaptation of teaching to each student's individual development: there should not be a one-size-fits-all course
Accordingly, you will not find any standardised 'course' which can be downloaded in its entirety and simply programmed into the class room.
I invite you to rummage around the site, particularly in the areas containing teaching materials ... find texts which appeal to you, and which you think will stimulate your students ... then draw up a running order, based on linkages between the various pages, and on the way you wish to cover the Themes. Aim to enjoy creating connections which will stimulate your students.
And to help you to make connections...
Links & extensions
... look for boxes like this, which appear in most of the pages with teaching materials.
Each box contains links to other pages in the site, which are connected by subject matter, or by techniques of language or communication. This will enable you to build up a sequence of lessons, leading the students through an interesting pattern of related ideas.
This site is a net, in which everything can be related to everything else. So - ramble and browse and create!
.