Education of a Good Quality

(Activity- based teaching VS GTM)

(1- Objectives and presentation)

A- Objectives:

The activity-based teaching method is applied in the USA schools. It is a learner-based learning method. We make our efforts to apply it in our schools. The general objective is to create a generation of learners that are able to adapt themselves to the environment around them perfectly and practically. It ties knowledge with environment. It encourages thinking, independent learning, solving problems, observation, dialoguing with one's self, dialoguing with others, guessing, applicability, imagination, creation and innovation.

The traditional method of teaching is practised in the third world countries. It depends on collecting or attaining a lot of information to deal with theoretically and to learn them by heart so that the learner can register these pieces of information in the written answering paper in the final exam that depends only on the writing skill. It ignores the skills of listening, speaking and communication. The traditional method is close to the GTM (Grammar Translation Method) which depends on just translating the text and presenting the grammar structure in the deductive way without presenting any model by the teacher or free practice by the learners. There is no place for any communication, practical learning or any activity. That traditional method is not recommended at all.

B - Presentation:

A - The activity-based teaching method:

In this modern method, we see:

1 - Changing the abstract and theoretical teaching into something touched, deeply rooted in the learner's mind, feelings and behaviour, practical, actual and real.

2 - The piece of information is functioned and implemented in a real teaching situations. The teacher uses drawings, pictures, signals, pointing, gestures, motion and circulation. The learner plays the role and dramatizes his learning.

3 - Giving a guided practice model by the teacher is an inductive method followed by learners' free practice that is elicited from the learners themselves through individual work, pair work and group work.

4 - Activities are shown in individual work, pair work and group work to enable the learners to become true participants, partners and involved in the process of presentation. The teacher monitors, supports, encourages and checks. He plays the role of the orchestra leader.

5 - Audio aids, visual aids, the use of realia or real things, acting, miming, demonstration, dramatisation, exploration and the use of technology like the overhead projector, the cassette, the video, DataShow and the computer PowerPoint program, are used positively.

6 - Debates, discussion, reports, researches, consults, interaction, participation, experimenting, imitation, interaction, interviewing, self- expression and passing knowledge to others illustrate the active teaching and learning inside and outside the classroom.

7- Demonstration, sharing, acting, education parties, songs, music, games, technology and transferring knowledge to others are needed.

8 - The learner is self-centered in the process. He is a true partner.

9 - That learning involves the senses, the brain, the behaviour and the emotions of learners.

10 - It encourages observation, practical learning, self-evaluation and passing knowledge to others.

B - The traditional teaching method.

This method depends on teacher's talking, lecturing or dictation. The teacher is a lecturer or a dictator and the learner is just a receiver or storer to the amount of information that he receives from his teacher without any share or analysis. The learner's role is not basic. The process of presentation depends on just attainment not thinking or creation. It is a teacher-centered teaching. The teacher sometimes uses schedules, columns and summaries so that he can attract the attention of the learners who feel bored.

There is no place for pair or group work. No elicitation, interaction or participation methods are practised. Poor few magazines or wall charts are used in the purpose of decoration and showing. The teacher uses the native language to translate the text of the target language. The teacher presents the structure as rules not as tools.

We see the learners unable to give full meaningful sentences to express themselves or write a meaningful and right structured paragraph describing something in their real life. The reason is that teaching is separated from the real life of the learners. Teaching becomes dead without any real life. There is no place for technology.