So What's the P in SPICE!
We've already looked at the S as being for Social Development so now we need to look at how the P stands for Physical Development.
Every language has its own body language stemming from its culture and what it values in pragmatics, manners, privacy and protocol. So, as teachers of English we must explicitly teach English language body language!
Drama is the perfect vehicle for this!
As we work with English in Action not just listening to the teacher sitting in still, silent rows looking at each others' backs, we use the "Speaking Body in the Empty Space". Thus we get the Sts. up on their feet using their bodies to express meanings and feelings through gesture, both facial and body; we give them opportunities to experiment and explore body movements, posture and stance and also eye contact. We teach our Sts. the stagecraft of "blocking", that is the way people use their bodies vis a vis other people's bodies when interacting in a space. We teach them to be aware of how they walk, how they stand, how they move and how they send different messages to to the recipients of their messages by the look on their face and their body posture.
We discuss different cultures and how each culture operates in different ways and how easy it is to read the signs the wrong way and how easy it is to offend somebody else from a different culture simply by a differently interpreted sign. Having lived and worked in 5 very different cultures I've plenty of real stories to tell! There are different ways of sitting, different ways of greeting, different ways of pointing, different ways of calling people, different ways of touching and different ways of using the voice for effect.
Beyond these obvious benefits we also teach mime so that many weak students can thrive in English classes by using their other channels of expression not just wordy language, which they have found difficult to do in previous classes. Some of our shyiest, poorest, inhibited, vulnerable students suddenly blossom and find themselves included, and even lauded in the classroom. Their self confidence and self esteem increases exponentially and their social transformation can be astonishing.
Now, you can see how the SPICE is unfolding in natural ways where we teach the language and all its components not just the grammar, the vocabulary and the bare system. English becomes a holistic discipline and that's why Drama works!
What draws my attention to using digital tools in vocational learning is the possibility of making an unfamiliar subject feel closer to everyday life. Digital resources are most useful when they help students practise a recognisable workplace task. It also gives the phrase digital vocational education a clearer meaning than a label on its own. I am still thinking through the details, and a small example would help me picture how this works in practice. Which activities benefit from an online tool and which still need hands-on practice?
Considering making online counselling easier to approach, I keep coming back to the difference between knowing about an idea and putting it into practice. Knowing how a first conversation works can reduce uncertainty about asking for support. It gives me a more concrete starting point for thinking about online counselling information. A short discussion of an everyday example would make this easier for me to connect with, especially as someone still learning about the subject. What practical information should be available before someone books an online session?
Thinking about applying business training to everyday work, I find the smaller practical questions more interesting than a quick conclusion. A useful training exercise should connect a new idea with a situation people actually encounter. That is the kind of detail I would keep in mind while exploring practical business training. I do not have a settled view yet, but this seems like a good place to slow down and look more closely. How would you check whether a workshop changes behaviour after it ends?
I can see why making personal safety education age appropriate would invite discussion, since different people will bring different experiences to the same question. Clear language about boundaries makes an awkward subject easier to discuss respectfully. It also gives the phrase personal safety education a clearer meaning than a label on its own. I am more curious about the process than a polished result, because the steps in between are usually where questions appear. How can lessons about personal safety remain understandable at different ages?
When it comes to developing practical technical skills in Chodziez, I would rather understand one useful detail properly than rush through a long list of ideas. A practical task often reveals gaps that a written exercise leaves unnoticed. For me, that is a useful way into the broader subject of technical education in Chodziez. The part I would like to explore further is what happens when the idea meets a real situation with its own limitations. How would you connect workshop practice with the theory taught in class?