Setting up new goals is something that we should do several times in life. At the
beginning of the course I thought in my future goals. Actually, they are not
changed really much. I would like to teach as my second plan (plan B) in my
professional development. I enjoyed the time I just have spent because I
learnt so many things which I applied at school recently. I would like to get a
job abroad and I think this course could help to achieve it. Also, this course
can help me to teach not just English but also other subject and I can apply
the methods and teaching techniques that I learnt here. I will continue my
development throughout life to take advantage of the new opportunities in the best possible way .
GOALS July 1, 2011
It will never end! June 17, 2011
Module 1
In this part of the course, I recalled the parts to integrate grammar in English. I already know these parts in Spanish. However, to have the same knowledge in English used to be something missing. It is not anymore.
Knowing that each person has a different way to learn due to the multiple intelligences resulted fascinating to me. Because this way we can widen the use of our resources to satisfy in an extended part our learners’ needs.
Learning theories as Krashen’s theories left me impressed. Overcoat one of his videos (I show it at the end of this paragraph.) I think if I had not taken this course, my studies direction hardly will drive me to know about this character. It was a surprise noticed how the affective filter influences in learners’ life. Actually, all the alternatives to fight it resulted to me incredibly useful in my Chemical Engineering studies. To understand how it works, made me know how to revert that issue.
(Everybody can learn!)
To know about all the kinds of learners’ needs made me noticed why each person takes more advantage of a class than another; which is caused because their concentration is focus on priority needs. All of this material was related to describing language, language skills and how to keep learners engaged along with our classes. Being engaged provides an intrinsic motivation to learners which make them achieve their aims satisfactorily.
Module 2
Here I discovered how hard is to make a lesson plan, a daily plan, a weekly plan, a monthly plan, an annual plan, etcetera; to fulfill so many specifications to elaborate each plan really got me a headache. And I was wondering why do supervisors require every teacher’s plan from every level?
I almost think they never going to read all of them… The only good point that I clearly see is purely personal because having a plan helps you to distribute activities in defined times. Even you can anticipate possible problems and solutions. It is a great guide to follow during each class. I always thought that teachers carry out their daily plan just according to the book’s activities; and in this part of the course I realized that each lesson plan has defined components that have to be followed in a logic sequence. An easy way to do this is divide the lesson plan in before, during and after the lesson.
Timing is also important to distribute each stage according to the allowed time.
Using different presentation techniques will result something helpful to reinforce all the learners’ skills, because I could change techniques if I noticed that one of them is not working.
I understood the best way to assess learners is not only through tests (formal assessment), 
I also could collect information looking at their informal assessment like homework and other activities. Following a rubric will becomes easier to give them a fair grade.
Incorporating the right materials and resources we can create fun classes and learners will love it and hopefully, they will appraise it.
Module 3
Last, but not less important part is module 3. To manage is a role that a teacher has to carry out. It becomes difficult a class where there is no order. Teachers and learners must get along well and it has to be respect to each other. That is why using language appropriately helps us to handle a peaceful and sane class. Last weekend I learned how to deal with backtalkers. If you do not control them, they will get you and your students a big headache. It is inadmissible that behavior, you have to avoid it.
As you know, to be a teacher means to assume different kinds of behavior better known as teacher roles. In other words, a teacher has the rol of being a friend, sometimes a parent, a resource, a guide, maybe a nurse… all these things together make a great teacher. And this is because at the end, all of us are human beings; every single person with different needs. That is why a teacher shifts constantly his/her behavior.
This has been a quick summary of what I have being learning the whole semester. The hardest part to me was handle the time. Also, spending 5 hours every Saturday was a little bit tiring. It was because I had never taken a Saturday class before and going to school 6 days at week was completely tiring. Even tough I had the greatest teachers; I feel that I need to get some rest, called vacation!
It was not an English course. It was a teaching preparation so, everything was new for me! The sticky wall is great! I have never seen it before. I know one day, someone will be watching me! These words remember me to someone… (Nobody knows?). At the beginning of this course, everything I knew was as a student. Now, I can expand my mind to another world; teaching world. It won’t be just me from now; it will be many tiny or big minds that I will have to help to discover how to communicate in other language. This means that everything I already know will pass to somebody else; and if I made a good job, it will not disappear through the years. It will not depend on me. It is in the eye of the beholder.
Mexico’s future, education’s future is on teachers hands. We can make the
difference. To transmit knowledge as the best way we can find, is what every society needs. Knowledge is the highest legacy that a person can leave, this remains through the time. It has no ending.
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY May 14, 2011
Bloom’s Taxonomy classifies learning levels. The first publication about this was “The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, The Classification of Educational Goals, and Handbook” by Benjamin Bloom in 1956. Bloom’s Taxonomy is divided into three categories or domains with the purpose of classify educational objectives. These are Cognitive, Affective and Psychomotor. Bloom wrote about Cognitive Domain which has six levels ordered from the lowest to the highest process.
The six levels are:
- Knowledge. In this level students can answer yes/no question. We use What, Who, Where and when questions.
- Comprehension. In this level students can interpret, classify, compare, translate, give descriptions, and state main ideas. We use Why and How questions.
- Application. In this level students can solve problems to new situations by utilizing back-up knowledge. They are able to develop, select, identify, and organize solutions.
- Analysis. In this level students can examine and divide information into parts by identifying causes. They can compare, categorize and follow a sequence.
- Synthesis. In this level students are able to gather information in different ways to propose new solutions. They could be able to create, develop, solve, choose and predict solutions.
- Evaluation. In this level students can present and defend opinions. They can make judgments about information and assess work based on the criteria.
Following this classification, we can improve the way to assess our students and design activities according to the skills in each level of the taxonomy.
To understand better, here is a video where we are going to use Bloom’s Taxonomy after we have seen it.
Watching a video, a short story: The Elephant Child to elementary level young learners.
- Remembering: What is the story’s title?
- Understanding: Why the black crow was listening to the elephants?
- Applying: Practice making animal sounds that you already know. Example: crows and elephants.
- Analyzing: Compare how the little grey elephant felt before and after see the children.
- Synthesizing: Invent another final to the story.
- Evaluating: Discuss with your partner what the moral of this story is.
SOMETHING CALLED BICS AND CALP May 7, 2011
The way to acquire knowledge is not always the same as Judie Haynes writes in her explanation of BICS and CALP . Actually, some experts differentiate between social and academic language acquisition. Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) are language skills needed in our social element. People use it in their daily language to interact socially with other people. English language learners (ELLs) employ BICS when they are talking to some friends in the coffee shop, in the lunch time, at school, at parties, playing sports and talking on the telephone. Social interactions are usually context embedded. They occur in a meaningful social context. You do not need to have specialized knowledge in that language.
Is not the same when people are good in social English as people proficient. Teachers have to be careful on these issues.
On the other hand, Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) is referred to formal academic learning. This is the way we learn in the different academic areas which includes reading, writing, speaking and listening about these areas.
BICS usually develop within six months to two years while CALP take from five to ten years.
Here are two videos to help us to understand the differences between BICS and CALP (made by Sara Rucker and Ashley McGibboney; Ashley Lovell and Courtney Stultz, respectively) :
LEARNING STYLES April 9, 2011
Do I think that learning styles exists?
Yes, I do. Because if they did not exist, every single person in a class would learn exactly the same at the same rate.
Multiple intelligences are proposed in 7 forms, you can find out what you are taking a multiple intelligence test. Here are some recommendations to follow after you know what kind you are:
VISUAL/SPATIAL LEARNERS
Use coloured highlighter pens to mark your revision notes. You should identify key words.
In the margins of your subject note-book, draw sketches or cartoons that relate to that particular topic or paragraph. These will not only help you to locate that particular section but will also make it more memorable.
Learn to Mind Map
Pay attention to the layout of your revision notes. You might find it useful to use flow or diagrams.
AUDITORY LEARNERS
You might find it helpful to play soothing music as you revise. Experts suggest that some types of music (particularly that with a tempo of 58-60 beats per minute) can help to generate relaxed-but-alert Beta brain-waves – which can help you, learn more effectively. However, music at a faster tempo or music with a strong lyric can have a distracting effect.
Record key points on tape and play them over, especially just before going to sleep.
Having identified key points from your revision notes, try making these into a rhyme, rap or song. This will make them more memorable.
Explain what you have learned to someone else.
KINAESTHETIC (PHYSICAL) LEARNERS
Learn the “Body-pegs” memory technique and use it to learn key points. (This is a technique where you have to attach one key-word to each body-peg in turn.)
Use the “Sticky-notes” memory technique. (Use post-it to write a key-word and even add a little drawing to each note.)
•As a teacher is important to know what are our learners needs and an average about their learning styles. At that point, it will be easier to manage different activities to cover the majority of our students needs.
•As a student, you will be able to study in the better way you consider.
Also, you can check my learning philosophy clicking the following link:
http://andydepieluche.glogster.com/glog/
If you cannot see the video embedded, here is again. Enjoy it.
VENN DIAGRAM March 26, 2011
Venn diagrams or set diagrams show all hypothetically possible logical
relations between a finite collection of sets(aggregation of things). They are used to teach elementary set theory, as well as illustrate simple set relationships in
probability, logic, statistics, linguistics and computer science.
The following example involves two sets, Prof. X and Me represented as two circles.
The left circle represents Prof. X motivational techniques. The right circle represents me and what would I do if I were him.
The intersection represents things that we have in common.
COLLABORATIVE TEAM WORK
As a society, we know that not always we are going to be alone.
So, we need to be able to interact as a team in many different tasks.
That was my case this week.
It could be thought that working online is difficult. In fact, is not. My team and I have worked in a comfortable way by 
e-mail. We established an adapted schedule which satisfies everyone’s necessities.
It is important to keep in mind the following quote: “divide and conquer”.
I am mentioning this because the best way to
achieve a complex target is to divide
the work into smaller pieces.
This way, you work less and the target is successfully accomplished.
There are exceptions, in some cases people are lazy or are not organized.
Sometimes is worst. What you have to do is keep in touch with each member and
try to communication flows.
I feel very satisfy, my team work was incredible. All of them have great qualities and everyone was engaged to the
project. I am very satisfied looking at the results.
READY TO SPEAK! March 22, 2011
In order to advance from a level to another, it is important to develop the four skills as much as we can. Productive 
skills are necessary, but sometimes are not easy to produce language. If that is your case, I have wonderful news: there is a fun way to practice your speaking!
It is a perfect tool for on-line courses. I recommend using this, maybe with 15 to 35 year-old people. What I am presenting here is a simple form to record your own voice (also, is known as podcasting). You just have to follow these four steps:
1. Go to the web page http://vocaroo.com/
2. To start recording, click where it says: click to record.
3. Then, to finish recording, click where it says: click to stop.
4. Finally, you have the options: record again and listen. Also, you can send your podcast to a friend or post on the internet.
This way you can tell your partners how was your day, describe some place, describe yourself, and tell your daily routine, practice phone numbers, whatever you want! There are no boundaries; the limits are your ideas. After finish recording, you can save your podcast and embed on your blog.
Remember, do not be afraid and have fun! Just try it!
Using podcasting on the blog is a comfortable way to interact among teacher-student and student-student which is due to they do not have to be face to face. This could be a relief to shy students, while they get confidence on themselves.
Keep in mind, I speak English and soon you will be speaking a lot!
Click here to listen an advice: my vocaroo
What you should know about Literature Circles March 11, 2011
Literature Circles are a kind of learning technique which focuses in a dynamic procedure. Using any text, people in class are divided in groups and each member has a defined task after read the text using a receptive skill. Then, everyone switches charges. Each person carry out a different task until all of them have performed each charge and have practiced their subskills. This procedure promotes natural conversations among students as discussion. Finally, students can summarize what they have understood.
I suggest using some graphic organizers like the following:
In each one, students can make draws; take notes or whatever they need. The most important thing is that students have fun in what they are doing so they will never be bored!
Reading response to a story (graphic organizers)
Graphic organizers help students to construct meaning. The following organizers can be used with any book. Use them to make your students understand of what they are reading, observe their thinking process on what you read as a class, as a group, or independently. Pay attention particularly that your students have coherence and cohesion about what they are writing.
You can use the following graphic organizers to make fun your classes with younger children:
And also, for older students:
It is always important to change the basic schemes to promote student interest!
The easiest way to learn English 
