Week 9 events

Another busy week for me at school. It´s the last week we´ll see our studens before we close out the school year.  That means a lot of work, posting grades, turning in forms at the principal´s office etc.

On top of that, I have been asked to make a video (sort of a documentary) telling all the events which took place throughtout the school year. I´ll make a fun one, adding pictures, text and most of all, details of most of the school activities where teachers and students got involved. I even made my own filming company logo. So I hope it turns out the way I expect it.

Maybe this is why I am a little behind my e course tasks. I need to work on my Final Project Report which is due this coming friday. But I am confident I´ll be able to turn it in on time. I just need to make some changes, that´s all.

So, this is it for this week. It´s downhill from here.

Topnotch technology - Week 8

Despite having to post up grades for school and countless other tasks, I squeeze in some time to write this entry. I have done it for the last 7 weeks. I can´t afford to past this week with at least a couple of my thoughts.


Today  was able to type my first draft on my final project. It took me a while but I was able to do it. Tomorrow I will email it to my course peer for suggestions or corrections. I will also CC it to Robert who will give it a glance.

I had a chance to start exploring the new webpages/ programs for English teachers. I immediately bookmarked them to study them thoroughly in the very near future. I couldn´t help but giggle about all the new things we keep learning everyday. I wouldn´t have known about this if I hadn´t taken this e course.

I have even had a talk with my boss about it. The school is very well aware of my studies. They want me to give a crash workshop on technology. I am looking forward to it.

 I am about to start my evening class so leave any comments if you please.

yours,
Jerry, Honduras

Learner Autonomy

   As a student, I always sought ways to improve my language learning. A part of me knew that I needed to be independent from the classroom. This knack for learning by myself allowed me to be a step ahead of the crowd, namely my classmates. How did I become an autonomous learner, you may ask. Let me explain how I did it.

   Before I even started studying formally at the university, I was lucky enough to have a book (incomplete and all torn), but very valuable for my needs. This book had a series of sentences and every sentence had a picture to go along with. With this fact I came up with my first rule of thumb: Don´t translate. Make a mental picture. Don´t forget I was doing this without the help of an English teacher. I was just using my gut feeling.

   The second rule came up with was when I realized I didn´t need to translate so I was doing a separate kind of learning, I mean, I didn´t let Spanish (my native language) interfere with my L2 learning. This rule had the biggest influence in English acquisition because it made learning faster. I brought this self learned knowledge when I enrolled in a formal Language learning environment.

   My first year at the university though, I didn´t study Languages. My major was Electrical Engineering. However, I was really interested in mastering the English language. One of the classes I took was English 1(two whole semesters of language are required for Engineering). I happened to be the best in the class. I befriended my English teacher. He suggested me to switch careers since I wanted to learn English so badly. 

   After that, I continue with my formal education on Languages, which I may add, went smoothly thanks to my self- imposed rules. I learned quite a lot from my Language teachers. I couldn´t have done it without them but the fact that I was able to come up with rules for my own education paved the way for a successful career.

   Yet, not everybody works the same way. Our students may rely more on their teachers. This may be so, because they haven´t been prepared to rely on their own learning. We are not to blame either the students or the teachers. What we can suggest, though, is to give the students tools to become more independent for their learning.

   Teachers who encourage their students to be responsible for their own learning are people like me who took up Language learning on their own and succeeded. 
Jerry, Honduras

Week six - Power Point time

Everything (for teaching anyway)I come across with, I try to implement it as soon as possible. This is the case of this week´s task in which we were to create a Power Point Presentation.
Since I started using a pc, I have always been aware of this MS application. Yet, I was only a

a receiver not a creator of this kind of presentations.

Not anymore, Last night I finished my first power point presentation intended for my English class. It took me a while to sit and come up with the topic, download the images to go along with the text. I think it took me and hour to do so.

I decided to go with the latest topic in our class which is describing people. I tried to make it simple, not only so my students can participate fully but also easy enough for me to accomplish my task.  So I finished it last night while the class was doing some team work. It came in the nick of time because like I said it was our topic at hand. I played the presentation and the students interacted. There was no hint of inhibition, pretty much because the presentation itself was kind of easy. But this is just a start.

Not bad for starters!! I am going to keep creating more power point presentations and/or downloading more for my class. 

The implementation of technology is having a positive effect on my students. They seem more focused. Who wouldn´t?? Language teaching can be more attractive for both students and teacher.

Jerry, Honduras

Power Point Presentations

I´ve been swamped with work this week, so I have just started tackling the reading material for week 6. I can see it´s getting better and better.

I have read about teaching large classes in a way to get the students involved in the learning process. One of those ways is by using power point presentations so we catch the students´ attention. It´s a well known fact that, we recall more if we see it than just merely listen to it.

So far, I have never created a PPT for my classes, although I am familiar with Power Point. One reason why I have never used such a program is because we did not have the technology in class. Now we do. So I will prepare these kinds of presentations to enliven my classes.

So, this is another tool which I will add to my teaching repertoire. I enjoy enriching my tech knowledge.

Jerry, Honduras

French and PBL

  I kind of like to say that French is my third language. It was in fact my minor in the University. I happen to mention French so I can share some thoughts on PBL, Rubrics and webquest.

I always like to see things from the point of view of the students. that´s why when I read about Project based learning, I inmedaitely thought about my expericience learning French. Why is this? becuase the more we make it real, the more interested the students will be and the more involved they will be.

Two years ago I spent a month in Paris visting my sister who lives and works there. This trip was a like a dream. I enjoyed my afternoons and evening checking the landmarks, architecture, musuems etc. I had the best vacation ever.
As for my French, I watched a lot of french tv and talked here and there with friends of my sister´s and people I bumped into in the street and wherever. It was like a project everyday when I had to ask directions or ordering in restaurants.
Now that I am back, I keep myself in touch with french tv especially TV5 (which by the way, offers French lessons so people can practice their french). I also listen to podcasts so I can have further practice. I do this becuase i have a sense of self preparation. I don´t need to go to a class so I can learn about something. I can do it on my own.
heres where PBL comes to mind. How good it would be if we, teachers, think about teaching a language (in this case) taking into account the motivation factor students present. The more motivated and engaged the students are the more learning there would be. I have experienced it in my own flesh. I am aware of it because I am both teacher and student.
PBL is a must in our globalized societies. we ought to implemet projects in which students bring out the best in them. As a result it fosters in us, the motivation to strive to be better professionals and better people.