About Arthur Miller: A Life on Stage



When I first decided to carry out this task in class, its main objectives were to help students learn more about Arthur Miller’s life and work. Also, I thought it would be a good way to review past tenses and time phrases. After doing this task in class, I must admit that it took me longer than I expected to explain how exactly it works. Considering that many of my adult students don’t feel that comfortable when it comes to using new technologies, it was a big challenge. Anyway, once they understood how to do it, they really enjoyed the whole process. I asked them to work in small groups of three, so that every student contributed to the final project and they supported each other while doing it. 

Some of my students – teenagers and some young adults – welcomed this activity from the very beginning, and their enthusiasm, I guess, created some curiosity in others. The most reluctant students, also got engaged in the activity, dynamic as it is, and especially so different from the activities we normally do in class.     

All in all, I think it was a positive experience for all of us – including myself – and really hope to do this kind of activity with Timetoast again! As for changes to be made in order to improve it in the future, I’ll provide my students with all the necessary instructions and information about the task they need to do, but I think I’ll ask them to do it at home, as homework (to save time).   

Finally, concerning the attainment of my objectives, this task helped to achieve them by making students to do research and read about Arthur Miller’s life and works, to put into practice the past tenses they had previously seen in class, and last but not least, to do all this in a dynamic and fun way.   

Here you can have a look at one of the time lines created:  

https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/2194306



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