This document summarizes two teaching methods tested at Escola Básica Santo António in Funchal, Portugal. The first method allowed students to choose assignment levels of varying difficulty corresponding to different point values. Students formed groups based on their chosen levels and completed the tasks on time. The second method had students prepare and teach part of a lesson to their class. Students responded positively to teaching their peers and felt it improved their own understanding. Both methods engaged students and aimed to accommodate varying skill levels. The teacher plans to continue using these student-centered approaches.

1. ICT AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR
INDEPENDENT LEARNING
Trying Different Teaching
Methods in EB23 Cardoso
Lopes
Author - Filomena Rocha
Presentation – Fernando Campos
Escola Básica Santo António - Funchal
30 de Janeiro de 2007

2. 1. Different colours, different levels …
(Filip Neri Middenschool)
Solving the same task, but in different
ways:
The student chooses one level among
three - no help, a little help or very guided.
The points he/ she will get depend on the
level (lower level, less points).
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3. • Different colours, different levels …
(Cardoso Lopes)
Teacher explained the method to the class
(Portuguese class, 9th grade; content: origin
and evolution of the portuguese language )
Students asked if they could work in group to
feel more confident and teacher agreed. Two
changes were made according to their
abilities.
They formed six different level groups, two for
each level.
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4. 1. Different colours, different levels …
(Cardoso Lopes)
• Level 1 (green paper) – nine points maximum
• Level 2 (blue paper ) – twelve points maximum
• Level 3 (orange paper) – fifteen points maximum
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5. 1. Different colours, different levels…
(Cardoso Lopes)
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6. 1. Different colours, different levels…
(Cardoso Lopes)
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7. 1. Different colours, different levels…
(Cardoso Lopes)
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8. 1. Different colours, different
levels…
(Cardoso Lopes)
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9. 1. Different colours, different levels…
(Cardoso Lopes)
Report:
Students finished the task on time and correctly.
Exercise number 3 – resuming information and writing –
was the most difficult for them, even for those who chose
level 1 and had the key words and topics on the paper.
Students enjoyed the fact that they themselves could
decide what they can or cannot do; they said that the
level they had chosen was appropriate, with two
exceptions:
one felt difficulties on working with level 2 and asked for level 1;
the other one felt that level 2 was too much easier for him.
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10. 2. Who wants to be the teacher?
Students are requested to prepare a
part of the lesson at home; they can
work in group or alone.
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11. 2. Who wants to be the teacher?
Student must:
• Study the subject to teach; he/she can use the textbook
information or any other sources (at home, the other
students read the textbook and underlined the main
ideas);
• Think about the best way to transmit the information to
the class (fifteen minutes), considering the resources
available;
• Prepare a few questions to ask the class in order to
check comprehension;
• At the end, both teacher and class evaluate the work.
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12. 2. Who wants to be the teacher?
• Diogo, 13th years, 9th grade,
talking about dramatic text;
• Diogo showed some
transparencies he had made,
drew a scheme in the
blackboard and gave copies to
the class. At the end, he asked
three questions.
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13. 2. Who wants to be the teacher?
• Class report: they paid attention all the time, were very
interested and understood what Diogo explained. They
particularly liked the idea of not having to write, because
Diogo supplied the copies and some teachers obliged
them to copy a lot from the blackboard… “It was a
different lesson”.
• Diogo’s report: he understood the subject much easier,
because he “worked a lot on it.”
• Teacher’s report: Confirm! “If I had done the explanation
myself, the results would not be better.”
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14. 2. Who wants to be the teacher?
• Ahmad, 17th years, 9th grade,
talking about the origin and
evolution of the portuguese
language;
• Ahmad simply read the
summary he had made on his
working book, without using
any support. At the end, he
asked some questions.
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15. 2. Who wants to be the teacher?
• Class report: they felt the need of a written
support, but they understood the main topics;
• Ahmad`s report: “I could have done better, but I
know what I was talking about!”
• Teacher’s report: Ahmad made a summary and
read it to the class. The others listened and
answered correctly his two questions. However,
teacher had to introduce some topics he missed
and reinforce others.
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16. Testing the methods – final
remarks
1. Different colours, different levels…
Students effectively understood the content;
Students felt confident and autonomous;
The method needs to be applied again and
more frequently in order to produce best
results.
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17. Testing the methods – final
remarks
2. Who wants to be the teacher?
Class was motivated and calm;
Students cooperated with their “fellow teacher” and were
anxious to show their learning by answering the questions;
“Fellow teachers” – the need to explain something to the others
forces students to deeply study the subject;
“Fellow teachers” – repeating the strategy will stimulate their
creativity and increase their competences on how to synthesise
information, how to interest an audience and keep their
attention, how to express themselves in public, etc…
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18. We will go on working!
Visit us on May and in…
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19. www.cardosolopes.net
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