The Tomo Times
20th May 2021（Thursday）
Recently we have been using computers in English class almost every lesson. There are so many possibilities with computers in the classroom, it's often difficult to decide where to start. I'd like to share some examples of activities we have tried. 5th Grade students, who are learning the alphabet, made tickets to a make-believe amusement park for themselves and their classmates by typing their classmates names and inserting pictures using 'Google Drawings'. It can be hard to find the right letters to type on the keyboard, but our 5th graders are trying hard! Due to Coronavirus, we decided not to have face-to-face speaking tests, so 6th, 8th, and 9th grades are making video recordings of their speeches instead. It should be good practice for some exciting English speaking opportunities planned for later in this school year! There are many new things to get used to in order to use computers smoothly, but I think our students are beginning to see the advantages of a computer age school!
13th May 2021（Thursday）
The first semester of the 2021-22 school year is well under way. As I'm writing, the cherry blossoms which once graced our staffroom window have disappeared amidst the vibrant green colours of the trees in our beautiful town of Tomo no Ura. Already this semester, students have each received a Chromebook personal computer, and with that, there are many new ways to experience learning that weren't possible in the past. Students can use their Chromebooks to access materials for study online, and teachers are able to conduct lessons in real time over Google Classroom.
