8 minute read
DIDACTIC UNIT TEMPLATE
TEACHER IN TRAINING: Sergio Fabián Méndez Muñoz
Advertisement
TITLE OF THE UNIT: SOCIAL MEDIA
CLASS 1: Introduction to Social Media
CLASS 2: Communicating on Social Media
CLASS 3: Online Safety and Privacy.
CONTEXTUALIZATION:
The group of students consists of individuals enrolled in English A2 classes at the UNAD (Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia), representing a diverse range of virtual scenarios, including young adults, adults, and students from various career paths. The UNAD is an institution known for its distance learning programs, allowing students to pursue their education remotely, using virtual platforms and resources.
The students come from different backgrounds, ages, and professional aspirations, as they pursue degrees across various disciplines at UNAD. They may include future educators, engineers, business professionals, healthcare workers, and more. Their English A2 classes aim to provide them with a solid foundation in English language skills, focusing on listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
JUSTIFICATION:
Provide a basic overview of popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Discuss their purpose, features, and how people use them to connect with others and share content.
Explore different ways people communicate on social media, such as posting updates, commenting, and sending private messages. Discuss common abbreviations and symbols used in online conversations, and practice writing simple messages and comments.
Raise awareness about the importance of online safety when using social media. Discuss common risks like sharing personal information, interacting with strangers, and encountering cyberbullying. Teach students how to set privacy settings, report inappropriate content, and handle online conflicts.
ORGANIZATION OF THE DIDACTIC UNIT:
The classes will focus on:
1. Relevance in Today's Digital World: By introducing social media in the English A2 curriculum, students can develop language skills that are directly applicable to real-life scenarios they are likely to encounter.
2. Practical Language Use: By incorporating social media into the English A2 curriculum, students can practice and improve their writing skills while learning to communicate effectively in a digital environment.
3. Cultural Understanding: By exploring social media, students can gain insights into different cultures, perspectives, and social norms, fostering cultural understanding and promoting intercultural communication.
4. Enhanced Digital Literacy: By introducing social media in the English A2 curriculum, students can develop digital literacy skills, including navigating different platforms, understanding privacy settings, and engaging with appropriate online behavior.
5. Opportunities for Collaborative Learning: Incorporating social media in the curriculum can create opportunities for students to engage in group projects, discussions, and peer feedback, enhancing their teamwork and collaboration skills.
6. Improved Language Proficiency: Exploring social media can help students expand their vocabulary, develop their reading comprehension skills, and enhance their ability to understand and interpret different writing styles, such as informal or abbreviated language used on social media platforms.
7. Practical Application of Language Skills: Students can engage in discussions, share resources, and express their opinions on various topics, thereby strengthening their language abilities in an authentic and meaningful context.
General Objective
To develop students' language proficiency and digital literacy skills in the context of social media. Aiming to enhance their ability to communicate effectively, understanding social media platforms, and navigating the online environment responsibly after familiarizing with the concept of social media and its relevance in today's digital world.
Introduction to Social Media (First Class):
• Familiarize students with the concept of social media and popular platforms.
• Develop language skills for describing social media platforms and their features.
Specific Objectives
• Cultivate an understanding of the impact of social media on communication and relationships.
Communicating on Social Media (Second Class):
• Enhance students' ability to engage in written communication on social media platforms.
Subject Content
• Develop skills for composing effective posts, comments, and messages.
• Promote awareness of digital etiquette and responsible online behavior.
Online Safety and Privacy (Third Class):
• Raise awareness about online safety risks related to social media.
• Educate students on protecting personal information and managing privacy settings.
• Equip students with strategies for handling cyberbullying and conflicts in online spaces.
• Introduction to social media and its definition
• Popular social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn
• Digital literacy skills: creating accounts, managing privacy settings
• Language use in social media: writing styles, abbreviations, emoticons
• Impact of social media on society: communication, relationships, privacy, information sharing
Class 1: Introduction to social media
• Social media
• Platform
• Features
• Functionalities
• Communication
• Relationships
Class 2: Communicating on social media.
• Post
• Comment
• Message
• Communication
• Digital étiquette
Class 3: Online Safety and Privacy
• Online safety
• Privacy
• Personal information
• Cyberbullying
• Conflicts
• Location
• Privacy settings
Structur Es
Class 1: Introduction to social media
• Simple present tense to describe social media platforms.
• Question forms to inquire about social media platforms.
Class 2: Communicating on social media.
• Present continuous tense for describing current actions
• Comparative and superlative adjectives for comparing social media platforms
Class 3: Online Safety and Privacy
• Prepositions of time and place for discussing social media activities.
• Simple sentence structures to express ideas related to online safety and privacy
Listening: Students will engage in listening activities to understand conversations, instructions, and descriptions related to social media platforms and their use.
LANGUAGE SKILLS / DISCOURS E TYPE
Speaking: Students will participate in speaking activities, such as discussing their social media habits, sharing opinions, and engaging in group conversations about the impact of social media.
Reading: Students will read texts, such as articles, posts, and comments, to enhance their comprehension of social mediarelated content and improve their reading skills.
Activities
Writing: Students will practice writing skills through activities like composing posts, comments, and messages, as well as expressing their thoughts and ideas on social media topics.
The whole 3 classes will involve a combination of descriptive and interactive discourse.
Students will use descriptive language to describe social media platforms, features, and their own experiences.
They will also engage in interactive discourse through dialogues, discussions, and written interactions, allowing them to communicate and exchange ideas related to social media effectively.
CLASS 1: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL MEDIA
• Warm-up Activity: Conduct an icebreaker activity where students take turns introducing themselves and sharing their favorite social media platforms verbally during the video conference.
• Presentation Activity: Share a screen with visual slides or use a virtual whiteboard to present information about different social media platforms.
Engage students by asking questions and encouraging them to participate through audio or chat.
• Practice Activity:
Divide students into breakout rooms and assign each group a social media platform to research.
Instruct them to prepare a brief presentation to share with the main class, highlighting the platform's features and their own experiences using it.
• Evaluation Activity:
Create a short online quiz using a polling tool or a shared document with multiple-choice questions related to social media.
Ask students to submit their answers through chat or private message during the video conference.
CLASS 2: COMMUNICATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
• Warm-up Activity:
Begin the video conference with a short discussion where students share examples of effective or ineffective social media communication they have encountered.
Encourage them to provide explanations and analysis.
• Presentation Activity:
Share your screen or use a virtual whiteboard to display sample social media posts or comments.
Analyze them together as a class, highlighting effective language use, tone, and communication strategies.
• Practice Activity:
Assign students to participate in a role-play activity during the video conference.
Each student takes on the persona of a different social media user and engages in a conversation or debate on a designated topic.
• Evaluation Activity: Conduct a live virtual debate or discussion where students express their opinions on a controversial social media topic.
Evaluate their ability to express themselves clearly and engage in respectful dialogue.
CLASS 3: ONLINE SAFETY AND
PRIVACY
• Warm-up Activity: Begin the video conference with a short video or audio clip that presents a real-life scenario related to online safety or privacy.
Engage students in a discussion by asking them to share their thoughts and possible solutions.
• Presentation Activity: Use screen sharing to present slides or an interactive online resource that covers various online safety risks and privacy concerns.
ORGANIZATION AND CLASS DISTRIBUTION / TIMING
Encourage students to ask questions and share their experiences.
• Practice Activity:
Divide students into pairs or small groups during the video conference and assign them a case study related to online safety.
Instruct them to brainstorm solutions and strategies to address the situation.
• Evaluation Activity:
Ask students to create a short video or audio recording where they provide tips and advice on online safety and privacy.
Have them share their recordings during the video conference or upload them to a shared platform like Youtube for feedback.
Methodology
CLASS 1: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL MEDIA
• Warm-up Activity:
Type of Work: Whole-class activity, followed by individual sharing
Time: 10-15 minutes
• Presentation Activity:
Type of Work: Whole-class activity with interactive elements
Time: 15-20 minutes
• Practice Activity:
Type of Work: Pair work or small group work
Time: 20-30 minutes
• Evaluation Activity:
Type of Work: Individual work, followed by whole-class discussion
Time: 10-15 minutes
CLASS 2: COMMUNICATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
• Warm-up Activity:
Type of Work: Whole-class activity with discussion
Time: 10-15 minutes
• Presentation Activity:
Type of Work: Whole-class activity with interactive elements
Time: 15-20 minutes
• Practice Activity:
Type of Work: Pair work or small group work
Time: 20-30 minutes
• Evaluation Activity:
Type of Work: Whole-class discussion or debate
Time: 15-20 minutes
RESOURCES / MATERIALS
CLASS 3: ONLINE SAFETY AND PRIVACY
• Warm-up Activity:
Type of Work: Whole-class discussion
Time: 10-15 minutes
• Presentation Activity:
Type of Work: Whole-class activity with interactive elements
Time: 15-20 minutes
• Practice Activity:
Type of Work: Pair work or small group work
Time: 20-30 minutes
• Evaluation Activity:
Type of Work: Individual work, followed by whole-class discussion.
Time: 15-20 minutes
CLASS 1: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL MEDIA
Resources and Materials:
Visual slides or presentation created by the teacher, introducing different social media platforms.
The teacher can create the slides using presentation software like Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides.
Online articles or websites providing information about social media platforms.
Sources can include reputable technology or social media-related websites such as TechCrunch, Mashable, or official platform websites.
Examples of social media platforms, either in the form of screenshots or short videos.
Gather screenshots or short videos from various social media platforms for presentation and discussion purposes.
CLASS 2: COMMUNICATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Resources and Materials:
Visual slides or presentation created by the teacher, highlighting effective communication strategies on social media.
The teacher can create the slides using presentation software like Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides.
Sample social media posts or comments for analysis and discussion.
The teacher can source examples from actual social media platforms or create their own mock examples.
Access to a designated social media platform for practice activities and role-play.
EVALUATION (CRITERIA AND INSTRUMENTS)
Students can use their own accounts on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to engage in communication practice.
CLASS 3: ONLINE SAFETY AND PRIVACY
Resources and Materials:
Online articles, videos, or infographics about online safety and privacy.
Reputable sources include organizations like Common Sense Media, Stay Safe Online, or official government websites focusing on internet safety.
Case studies or scenarios related to online safety and privacy issues.
The teacher can develop their own scenarios or use resources available on educational websites or textbooks.
Online resources or guides on how to protect personal information and handle online conflicts.
Provide links or share PDFs with relevant information from trusted sources such as cybersecurity organizations or educational websites.
CLASS 1: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL
MEDIA
Evaluation Instruments:
• Presentation assessment rubric:
Criteria: Content knowledge, organization, clarity of explanations.
Scale: 4 (Excellent), 3 (Good), 2 (Fair), 1 (Poor).
• Class participation and engagement:
Criteria: Active participation, contributions to discussions, asking thoughtful questions.
Scale: 4 (Excellent), 3 (Good), 2 (Fair), 1 (Poor).
CLASS 2: COMMUNICATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Evaluation Instruments:
• Discussion and role-play assessment rubric:
Criteria: Analysis of communication strategies, clarity of expression, active engagement.
Scale: 4 (Excellent), 3 (Good), 2 (Fair), 1 (Poor).
• Written reflection or response:
Criteria: Thoughtfulness, critical thinking, coherence in expressing opinions.
Scale: 4 (Excellent), 3 (Good), 2 (Fair), 1 (Poor).
CLASS 3: ONLINE SAFETY AND PRIVACY
Evaluation Instruments:
