What Is TikTok and Nanolearning in ELT?

I’m going to share interactive stories and activities for teachers to use in their classrooms.

Each story is based on the narrative of a TikTok video and is perfect for engaging “screenagers” and
other 21st century learners. The traditional way to use bite-sized videos in the classroom is to watch the
video first and talk about it later.

The activities in this e-book reverse that process: questions, discussion, and analysis come first. A full
viewing of the video comes later.

So how does this work?

Well, TikTok videos tend to be short in length but strong in narrative. We’re going to focus on CONTENT
(academic contente, school and curriculum content).

These types of videos present us with perfect, bite-sized stories to share via word of mouth and in our
classrooms. In a nano activity, the teacher communicates a TikTok narrative through traditional
interactive storytelling.

In this way, the technology takes a back seat, and human communication comes to the front of the class.
But why naration and storytelling? Well, it is an age-old pastime with enduring appeal. It is the way we
share ideas, explore issues, and build mutual understanding. Through storytelling, we can create a
relaxed environment where individuals feel safe to express ideas or simply listen in order to learn from
others. For this reason, storytelling can be particularly useful when working with groups of mixed
backgrounds and ability. The goal here is to do it in nanobites and also to use animated or other
multiliteracies to engage screenagers, or even screenadults.

Through the stories in this e-book, you’re going to be able to set up activities and tasks for interactive
learning and skills development.

We’re going to tackle:

 speaking and listening
 discussion and comprehension
 reading and writing
 collaboration between students
 student presentations
 storytelling video production
 language learning
 media literacy skills
 critical thinking skills
Why TikTok?

TikTok is the social media of the moment. People all over the world are embracing, defining, and
constantly reinventing video, but now with shorter attention spans. The activities here deconstruct
TikTok videos to explore current issues through interactive discussion. They also engage students, get
them talking, and encourage passionate, thoughtful communication.

Many of the TikToks in this book will appeal to students of K-12 ages, but mostly teenagers. Some may
include subjects, topics, and language that could be above the cognitive skills of that particular
audience, since they’re related to mostly physics, chemistry and math. You should always preview
TikToks before showing them to your students; ensure that materials and activities are suitable for your
students’ age, maturity, and cultural background; and confirm that materials and activities are suitable
within the context of your community and school policy.

Title: Who’s the Father of the Atomic Bomb?

Duration: 30 seconds

Story:

Title: "Understanding Atomic Bombs Through TikTok - A Nanolearning Approach"

Part 1: "How does The Atomic Bomb Work?"

Story:

Let's dive into a famous TikTok video, but with a twist. Imagine a TikTok clip about the atomic bomb.
The setting is a top-secret laboratory.
Scientists are hard at work, conducting experiments on nuclear materials.
Everything seems peaceful and controlled.
Suddenly, something unexpected happens – their calculations are not right! The shape of the bomb is
not right! There’s not enough Uranium 235 in the mix.

Part 2: "The Atomic Reaction TikTok"

Video:

Now, imagine this TikTok video is titled "Atomic Reaction." It's a dramatic and suspenseful clip.

Part 3: Discussion

Discussion Questions:

What do you think the scientists in the lab are doing?

Do you think scientists can predict what will happen during their experiments?
What could go wrong in a laboratory like this?
Why do you think that spark caused such a reaction?
How do you think this unexpected event might relate to the atomic bomb?
After students have shared their thoughts and ideas, you can proceed to show the TikTok clips. By using
this approach, you can engage students in a captivating way to discuss complex scientific concepts
related to the atomic bomb, just like the unexpected moment in the TikTok video. This activity aims to
demonstrate how teaching subjects like chemistry and physics can be made accessible and engaging,
even for non-experts, through the CLIL method.

Valueble Takeaways

The perfect video is short in length but rich in narrative.

It’s engaging and it will feed the imagination.

Investigate the who, what, when, where, why, and how that relate to a video, a story can start to go in
many different directions.

3 different levels that can be explored:

1) The video itself: A basic description of what you see and what you hear in the video.
2) You, the viewer: An exploration of the internal narrative that takes place in your own mind, in
response to the video – for example, the questions that you ask and the answers that your
imagination supplies. In this book, this is referred to as the internal narrative.
3) The external world : finding similarities, oppositions, and creating a story with other people
collaborating to the narrative.

How to create your own video-based story?

It requires a lot of viewing

Then you’ll do a lot of thinking
Now it’s time to do some investigating
Ok now off to writing

Practice time! Try experimenting

Presentation time!

Post_video activity

Reflecting on feedback

And rewrite it if need be.

https://buenosaires.gob.ar/areas/educacion/curricula/pdf/media/programa_fisica.pdf
Engagement: TikTok's short and visually appealing format captures students' attention effectively,
making learning more engaging.

Relevance: TikTok is a platform familiar to many students, making it easier to connect with them on a
medium they already use and understand.

Creativity: Teachers can tap into their creative side to explain complex topics in innovative ways,
fostering deeper understanding.

Accessibility: Short videos are easily accessible on mobile devices, allowing students to learn anytime
and anywhere.

Interactivity: TikTok's interactive features enable teachers to create polls, quizzes, and challenges for
active student participation.

Bite-sized Learning: TikTok encourages nanolearning, breaking down lessons into digestible chunks,
enhancing retention.

Community Building: Teachers can build a supportive online learning community, fostering collaboration
among students.

Real-world Application: TikTok allows teachers to relate classroom concepts to real-world scenarios,
enhancing practical understanding.

Student Empowerment: Giving students a platform to create educational content empowers them and
enhances their digital literacy skills.

Motivation: The fun and informal nature of TikTok can motivate students to take a more active role in
their learning.

Step 1: Pre-Video Storytelling

Begin the lesson with a captivating and emotionally engaging story related to the video content. This
story should serve as a precursor, creating an emotional connection and priming students for what they
are about to watch. The story can be personal or fictional but should be relevant to the upcoming video.

Step 2: Video Viewing

After setting the stage with the pre-video storytelling, have students watch the video attentively.
Encourage them to take notes and pay close attention to key concepts, themes, and any emotional
elements that resonate with them.

Step 3: Individual Narrative Creation

Give students time to reflect individually on the video content. Prompt them to create their own
narratives or stories about what they found most relevant, impactful, or thought-provoking in the video.
Encourage them to connect their personal experiences or emotions to the content.
Step 4: Collaborative Narrative Building

Form small groups of students and have them share their individual narratives. Within each group,
encourage discussion and debate on the different perspectives and interpretations of the video.
Together, they should create a collaborative narrative that weaves together the various insights and
emotions experienced by group members.

Step 5: Learning Reflection and Skill Identification

Once the collaborative narratives are developed, guide students in reflecting on what skills, knowledge,
and lessons can be drawn from the video and their collective narrative-building experience.
Encourage students to identify the following:

 The main themes or messages conveyed by the video.

 The emotional impact and empathy developed through storytelling.
 How their narratives evolved from individual to collaborative perspectives.
 Any connections between the video content and real-world applications.
 Skills such as critical thinking, communication, and collaboration that were enhanced through
this process.

By following this structured approach, teachers can leverage the power of storytelling to engage
students emotionally and intellectually before introducing video content. The subsequent stages of
reflection and collaborative narrative building not only deepen students' understanding but also foster
critical thinking and teamwork skills.

In the story, Dr. Henry Jekyll, a well-intentioned scientist, creates a potion to separate his good and evil
sides. He hopes to make the world a better place by eliminating the darker aspects of human nature.
However, his experiment leads to the creation of the malevolent Mr. Hyde, who causes chaos and
destruction.

This allegory can be used to draw parallels to Oppenheimer's role in developing the atomic bomb. Just
as Dr. Jekyll aimed to improve humanity but inadvertently unleashed destruction, Oppenheimer sought
scientific advancement with the atomic bomb, yet its use in warfare resulted in unprecedented
devastation. It highlights the complex moral and ethical dilemmas faced by scientists and the
unintended consequences of their discoveries.

Slide 10: Creating Your Educational TikToks

 Provide tips for educators to create their own educational TikToks:

 Keep it short and engaging.
 Use visuals, music, and humor when appropriate.
 Incorporate interactivity.