BM 01-Bia SKKN
DONG NAI EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEPARTMENT
NAM HA HIGH SCHOOL
__________________________
Code :
THE INITIATIVE EXPERIENCE
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY
IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
Teacher:
TRAN THI VAN ANH
Research field:
English
Education management:

Teaching method:

Other fields:

Attachments:
 Object
 Software
 Film
 Other things
School year: 2018 – 2019
DONG NAI EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEPARTMENT
NAM HA HIGH SCHOOL
__________________________
THE INITIATIVE EXPERIENCE
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY
IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
Teacher:
TRAN THI VAN ANH
Research field:
English
Education management:

Teaching method:

Other fields:

Attachments:
 Object
 Software
 Film
 Other things
School year: 2018 – 2019
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
CURRICULUM VITAE
I. PERSONAL INFORMATION:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Full name: TRAN THI VAN ANH
Date of birth: August 27th, 1988
Sex: Female
Address: 558A/A2 – Nhi Hoa – Hiep Hoa – Bien Hoa – Dong Nai
Telephone number: 0909.961.960
E-mail: vananhtran278@gmail.com.vn
Work: Teacher
Place of work: Nam Ha high school
II. TRAINING STANDARD
- Diploma: Bachelor
- Graduation year: 2011
- Major in: Teaching English
III. SCIENTIFIC EXPERIENCE
- Major in: teaching
- The length of service: 7 years
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
Table of Contents
Contents
Pages
Introduction
1. Background of the study
5
2. Reason for choosing the study
5
3. Objects and scope of the study
5
4. The purpose of the study
5
Contents
I. Reality of the study
6
II. Contents of the study
1. Process of the study
6-13
1.1. Hidden objects
6-8
1.2. Append text
8-9
1.3. Container property
9-11
1.4. Magic ink
11-12
1.5. Object browser
13-14
2. Advantages and disadvantages of the study
14
3. Evaluation of the study
15
Conclusions
16
References
17
Appendix
Sample lessons
School year: 2018-2019
17-27
4
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
INTRODUCTION
1. Background of the study
Nowadays, using new technology in teaching English, especially in
teaching reading, is compulsory and essential for all teachers because it can
make lessons more attractive, memorable and applicable. Among newly
appeared tools supproting teaching is the interactive whiteboard together with
its software, ActivInspire.
2. Reason for choosing the study
Realizing the characteristics of the research, I always study and research
the best educational programme to help teachers improve the quality of teaching
and learning reading. Without a debt, reading books as well as other documents
about methodology as well as about ActivInspire is obligatory. Furthermore, I
also learn experience from the colleagues both in English group and other ones,
especially I.T. group. These precious lessons enable me to improve and polish
my teaching skills together with computing skills. Following, I have done some
experiments in which I applied ActivInspire to designing reading tasks. Last but
not least, in order to finish this study, I have made statistic and considered the
result which has been changed significantly since I started using this ideal
software.
3. Objects and scope of the study
The study focuses on students belonging to my four classes such as 10C5,
10C9, 12C2 and 12C3 in Nam Ha high school; they are at the age from sixteen
to eighteen.
About the time of this study, it is conducted during the first semester of
the 2018-2019 school year (from the mid of September to the mid of
December), and the reading activities are built according to the available
reading tasks in the textbook.
4. Purpose of the study
In an attempt to make students more interested in comprehensive reading,
I have had an idea and conducted some practical applications. I feel quite
optimistic about this method; hence, I write this paper aiming to share the
effectiveness of using ActivInspire in designing reading tasks.
School year: 2018-2019
5
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
CONTENTS
I. Reality of the study
Nobody can disapprove of the fact that interactive whiteboard increases
the involvement and collaboration of the students in the classroom. The media
content on these interactive whiteboards successfully brings lessons to life with
rich and powerful activities, catches the attention of the students and makes
lectures far more interesting thanks to its blending real-time assessment and
real-world experience into the learning process.
However, this will certainly force teachers to be more creative, active and
to make more efforts to improve their skills in designing as well as performing a
lesson with ActivInspire.
In fact, to find out the best solutions to the problems teachers often meet
while applying techonlogy in teaching foreign languages, all groups and
departments related to education usually carry out the movements, the contests
or the discussions which help teachers have opportunities to learn experiences
from each other.
II. Contents of the study
1. Process of the study
In order to design an effectively ActivInspire lesson, teachers are
supposed to know how to apply this programme in designing activities.
Moreover, the most important thing to make ActivInspire different with
other educational programme is its interactiveness. That students are excited
about using the interactive board also stimulate them to pay attention to the
lesson.
Following are some tools in Activinspire which I think can use to design
reading tasks to encourage students to read as well as checking their
comprehension.
1.1.
Hidden objects
This is a tool with which we can hide particular objects such as correct
answers, following ideas, etc. and show them when we click in other particular
objects such as questions, titles or something like that.
We can use this tool in many kinds of tasks including: Multiple choices,
Gap-filling, Crossword, etc…
Sample tasks:
Grade 10 – Unit 1: Reading (Multiple choices) (p.13)
School year: 2018-2019
6
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
Grade 11 – Unit 1: Reading (Gap-filling) (p.13)
School year: 2018-2019
7
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
Grade 12 – Unit 2: Reading (Crossword Puzzle)
1.2.
Append text
This is a tool that helps students to practice completing or making
sentences by clicking in particular objects such as images, texts, shapes, etc.
We may use this tool to design some activities including: Making your
own sentence, Gap-filling, etc.
Sample tasks:
Grade 11 – Unit 11: Reading (Making sentences)
School year: 2018-2019
8
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
Grade 12 – Unit 16: Reading (Gap-filling)
1.3.
Container property
This tool is used to design tasks that help students improve their selfcorrection. When they drag and drop a particular object (answers, vocabulary,
images,…) into a container (questions, definition, sentences,…), the object will
be contained if it is correct, and it will be returned if it is wrong.
We may use this tool to design various tasks such as Drag-and-drop,
Matching, Gap-filling, etc.
Sample tasks:
Grade 12 – Unit 10: Reading (Matching) (p.109)
School year: 2018-2019
9
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
Grade 12 – Unit 16: Reading (Gap-filling) (p.173)
Grade 10 – Unit 8: Reading (Drag-and-drop) (p.83)
School year: 2018-2019
10
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
1.4.
Magic ink
This tool is really a magic like its name because we can place correct
answers or background pictures behind other objects, and show them by using
magic ink easily.
With its help, we can design activities such as True/False, Gap-filling,
Question answering, etc.
Sample tasks:
Grade 10 – Unit 9: Reading (p.95)
School year: 2018-2019
11
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
Grade 11 – Unit 11: Reading (True/False) (p.125)
Grade 12 – Unit 5: Reading (Question answering) (p.53)
School year: 2018-2019
12
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
1.5.
Object browser
This is a browser that helps us to set the order of objects, which is in front
of and which is at the back. The objects in the front layers (correct answers) will
be shown while other objects in the backward layers (wrong answers) cannot be
shown.
We can use this browser in designing different activities including Dragand-drop, Giving the synonyms, etc.
Sample tasks:
Grade 11 – Unit 4: Reading (Drag-and-drop) (p.47)
School year: 2018-2019
13
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
Grade 12 – Unit 13: Reading (Meaning giving) (p.129)
2. Advantages and disadvantages of the study
2.1.
Advantages of the study
Teachers are always enthusiastic and creative in not only teaching but
applying new educational software in teaching as well. Both experienced
teachers and young, active teachers usually work together to find out better
solutions to improve teaching and learning problems.
The head-staff board always supports and helps teachers during the
teaching period. There are various teaching facilities supporting an English class
such as computer, labs, and interactive whiteboard, etc. Many teachers who are
good at the I.T. are willing to help others with technical problems.
2.2.
Disadvantages of the study
Although all of students have studied English for more than seven years,
their capacity for comprehensive reading is quite modest and at different levels.
Some of them are quite passive in the groupwork. Some of them are even shy at
the first time when using the interactive board. They all realize the importance
of English for their future jobs; however, they spend limited time studying this
subject. Moreover, they pay more attention to grammar than other skills,
especially reading and writing.
Length of time for a teaching period is relatively short. As a result of this,
it is difficult for teachers to deliver their knowledge to the students. Besides, the
content of the subject is too overwhelming. It requires teachers to provide
students a large sum of knowledge in a limited time, only fourty-five minutes.
School year: 2018-2019
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Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
3. Evaluation of the study
3.1.
Ingenuity of the study
ActivInspire is new educational software developed in Vietnam in several
years. In addition, it is absolutely different from its preceding software –
PowerPoint. As a result, teachers are supposed to make great efforts and devote
time to improve their own skills in designing as well as performing a task with
ActivInspire. When teachers use this software, the real lesson process will move
smoothly and emotionally. Moreover, students will be able to follow the right
steps instructed by teacher. As a result, they will focus on the tasks more, show
greater interest in reading the passage to do the tasks.
3.2. Effect of the study
From my observational field notes, I came to the following evaluations
over the strong points of my real lesson. Students were enhanced to self-study
and self-correct and were stimulated to work in groups, in pairs and
individually.
(The 1st term of the school year 2018 - 2019)
Class
10C5
(37)
10C9
(38)
12C2
(38)
12C3
(38)
The number of students really joins
class activities before applying to
the new method.
25
students
20
students
15
students
10
students
37
students
35
students
37
students
30
students
The number of students really joins
class activities after applying to the
new method.
3.3. Applicability of the study
This study has been applied to teaching every subject, not only English.
Many teachers in different levels have conducted it and got positive results.
With only a computer or laptop and an interactive whiteboard, teachers can do
anything they want with their lesson. In recent years, thanks to Ministry of
Education and Training, nearly almost of schools in the country have been
provoded with modern interactive whiteboards as well as training teachers to
use them effectively.
School year: 2018-2019
15
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
Conclusion and Suggestions
I have tried to present the effectiveness of using ActivInspire in designing
reading tasks. This idea will obviously stimulate students’ interest in reading
activities as well as encourage them to take part in class activities actively and
effectively. I highly recommend English teachers to use this helpful programme
in designing as well as teaching reading in particular, and teaching English in
general. It really works in the aspect of stimulate students to learn reading as
well as English.
At some points, however, teachers need improving with a view to using
new educational programmes in teaching. Moreover, the school boards should
enable teachers to be trained about newly-appeared programmes so that they can
apply them in their teaching.
All above are about my thoughts as well as my activities during the 7year teaching experience. I know that my initiative experience still has many
shortcomings, so I believe that all contributions from my colleagues will make
it more perfect. I also assure myself that this study is an ingenious work, not an
infringement of copyright.
Biên Hòa, ngày 15 tháng 03 năm 2019.
HỘI ĐỒNG CÔNG NHẬN SÁNG
KIẾN TẠI CƠ QUAN, ĐƠN VỊ
NƠI TÁC GIẢ CÔNG TÁC
TÁC GIẢ SÁNG KIẾN
(Ký, ghi rõ họ tên)
(Xác nhận: công nhận hoặc không
công nhận sáng kiến)
(Ký tên, đóng dấu)
School year: 2018-2019
16
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
REFERENCES
1. Teaching methodology - Nguyen Hanh Dung
2. Textbook: English 10,11 and 12
3. Teacher’s books English 10,11 and 12
4. Web: violet.com.vn
APPENDIX
1. The sample lesson
GRADE 11: UNIT 11 - READING
WARM-UP (3’)
- Teacher asks students to go to the board to reorder pieces of a picture to make
a complete picture.
Complete picture:
School year: 2018-2019
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Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
- Then, teacher introduces the new lesson:
UNIT 11: SOURCES OF ENERGY
PART A – READING
BEFORE YOU READ (7’)
Teacher’s activities
Students’ activities
- Teacher asks students to answer 2 questions:
1. What do people need energy for?
- Students say their answers
aloud.
2. What are our sources of energy from?
- Teacher invites some students to say aloud
their answers while some students write down
their answers on the board.
- Teacher gives feedback.
VOCABULARY:
- Teacher gives students some key words of the
lesson and asks them to look up their meanings
and kinds of words in advanced.
-Teacher lets students give the meanings of
vocabulary.
- Teacher checks students’ work and conducts
repetition in peer and in individual.




- Students look up meanings
of the vocabulary given by
teacher in advanced.
- Students take notes and
repeat vocabulary.
reserve (n)
limited (a)
alternative (a) → ~ sources of energy
geothermal (a) → ~ heat
School year: 2018-2019
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Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
 available (a)
 windmill (n)
 dam (n)
School year: 2018-2019
19
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
WHILE YOU READ (25’)
Teacher’s activities
Students’ activities
- Teacher plays the audio of the reading text and
asks Ss to rearrange the scrambled paragraph in
the correct order.
- Students do the activity in
pairs.
- Teacher lets Ss to write down the answer and
asks the class to listen the audio again to check
the answer.
- Teacher gives feedback and has some Ss read
the passage in correct order aloud.
- Then, teacher has students to work in pairs to
read and comprehend the reading text.
- Teacher observes the class and gives support if
necessary.
- Teacher distributes handouts and asks students
to to the tasks in pairs.
Task 1: True or False.
(Tool: Hidden objects; Magic Ink)
- Teacher asks students to decide which
statement is true, which is false and give the
School year: 2018-2019
20
- Students work in pairs to
do the tasks in the handouts.
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
reason for each statement.
Questions & Answers:
1. There are some alternative sources of enery.
(True)
2. A windmill can generate energy at all time.
(False: If the wind doesn’t blow, there is no
wind energy.)
3. It’s very cheap to make water energy. (False:
Dams cost a lot of money, so water energy is
very expensive.)
4. A number of countries in the world use solar
enery for their daily lives. (True)
5. Scientists have known how to make full use of
alternative sources of energy. (False: How to
make full use of these sources of energy is a
question for researchers all over the world.)
- Teacher calls on some students to write down
the answers on the board while other students
say aloud their answers.
- Teacher checks students’ work shows correct
answers and gives feedback.
Task 2: Choose the correct answer.
(Tool: Object Browser; Hidden objects)
- Teacher asks students to choose the correct
answer to each question and give the reason for
each answer.
Choose the correct answer.
1. Why are people developing alternative
sources of energy?
a. Because it is easy to generate.
b. Because fossil fuels will be exhausted soon.
c. Because reserves of fossil fuels are unlimited.
2. According to passage 2, what is the
disadvantage of geothermal heat?
a. It’s very dangerous for our environment.
b. It’s available only in a few places in the
School year: 2018-2019
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Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
world.
c. It costs a lot of money to produce this kind of
energy.
3. How potential is nuclear energy?
a. It can provide energy for hundreds of years.
b. It’s very dangerous.
c. It’s one of alternative sources of energy.
- Teacher calls on some students to write down
the answers on the board while other students
say aloud their answers.
- Teacher checks students’ work shows correct
answers and gives feedback.
School year: 2018-2019
22
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
School year: 2018-2019
23
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
AFTER YOU READ (10’)
Teacher’s activities
Students’ activities
- Teacher divides students into in 4 groups to
play a game called: “GUESS THE KEYWORD”
- Teacher introduces the rule:
“Each group will choose a number and complete
the sentence behind the number.
School year: 2018-2019
24
- Students listen to the rule
of game.
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
With a correct answer, you will get one point
and know one letter of the keyword, containing 9
letters.
The group can guess the keyword first will have
the points for all left numbers, and will be the
winner.
The winner will receive a special gift.
Good luck to you!”
- Teacher asks some questions to be sure that all
groups understand the rule.
- Teacher monitors the game and announces the
winner.
- Students play the game in 4
groups.
Questions & Answers:
1. The wind turns w________ and moves
sailboats.
2. Nuclear energy can be very _a________.
3. Fossil fuels will be ________t___.
4. Geothermal heat is __________e.
5. Water power gives _____r____ without
pollution.
Keyword: WATER
- Teacher lets students watch a video clip about
sources of energy, and assign homework.
HOMEWORK:
 Learn vocabulary by heart.
 Write a paragraph (about 100 words) about
advantages and disadvantages of the
alternative source of energy that you find the
most potential.
 Prepare for next class: Part B – Speaking.
School year: 2018-2019
25
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
School year: 2018-2019
26
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh
USING ACTIVINSPIRE EFFECTIVELY IN DESIGNING READING TASKS
School year: 2018-2019
27
Teacher: Tran Thi Van Anh