Final lesson- "Pecha Kucha"

Hello everyone!!! I would like to dedicate this last blog entry to share with you all our final presentation for our subject ECO II at the English teaching programme.

We had our last lesson yesterday and we presented our "Pecha kuchas" based on the topics dealt througout the academic year. My group and I decided to focus our attention on the role of teachers as materials designer, and we put forward the implications of adopting this role, together with the advantages and disadvantages of teacher-porduced materials.

It has been a real thrill to go over the theory in only six minutes and a half! We had to include twenty slides using either PowerPoint or Prezi and each slide should last twenty seconds! The anxiety could be cut with a knife!!! Despite all the previous nerves we could make it, and it came out wonderfully! We are really happy with the results and we had a blast during the whole process of coordinating our speech with the timing!

This is our"Pecha Kucha", hope you like it!

About Blended Learning

Blended Learning can be understood as a mixture of both face-to-face and online learning. In other words, some elements of a course are de livered online, and some are delivered in a face-to-face fashion. To what extent should we include one or the other is really a matter of balance, since both are crucially important ways of teaching and learning.

The online component still offers opportunities for interaction and communication between learners, and between learners and teacher, since a variety of web 2 tools can be used to establish rapport. For instance, learners can use Skype, Video chats, text chats, among others.

Pursuing this way of teaching  will give the teacher more time in the classroom to discuss overall difficulties and doubts that learners may have, this allow the teacher to make a more effective use of her time . Besides, if students do a test online the teacher will have the assessment reports online that will enable her to tailor and prepare the next lesson accordingly to the results.

A further advantageous aspect of blended lessons is that it gives learners more freedom, since they can access whenever they can and wherever they are. Furthermore, students will be browsing a safe online environment, which is restricted to the teacher and the students. They have everything they need there without having to visit external sources.

The following advantages and disadvantages of blended learning are taken from a book “Teaching Online Tools and techniques, options and opportunities” by Nickly Hockly

-Flexible - learners can log on when and where they like.

-Learners have access all day, every day.

-It is quick and easy for learners to submit work and assignments.

-Geographical location is not an issue.

-Many learners are familiar with the internet already.

-It can include multimedia.

-It can be cheaper for the learner.

-Flexibility means learners need to be disciplined and self-motivated.

-Learners may expect the teacher to be available 24/7.

-Learners may expect instant responses and feedback.

-It may be difficult to meet in real-time across time zones.

-Some learners may find working online alienating, or spend too much time already online at work.

-Lower-bandwidth connections can mean that not all media can be viewed easily.

-It can be more time-consuming for teachers.

Comments on Dolors Reig's conference

Today’s post is destined to comment on the salient aspects grasped in Dolors Reig's conference "Educar para las TEP (tecnologías del empoderamiento y la participación)".

An issue she tries to demystify in the conference is the preconceived idea that due to the new technologies our intellect is said to be in decay. This is far from being true since we have internalized new ways of coping with information, processing it at a higher speed and attending to more than one task at a time; I have referred to this in the blog several times, as the ability of "multi-tasking". So, when it comes to our brain's potential we are rewarded and affected positively. However, as Dolors noted, we do find it tedious and hard to memorize encyclopedic fragments or concrete data. Nevertheless, this is a peculiarity inherent to the era we are living in, memory is not as treasured as it used to be in former times.

A further reason to unveil this taboo that revolves around technology, is the fact that we have become more powerful thanks to technology and the Internet for our capacity to judge things, and being critical towards the bombardment of advertising has increased enormously. We are equipped with many digital and cognitive tools that help us to be less vulnerable to public propaganda.

Another viewpoint I found enticing was that not only do we have to teach our students to use web 2 tools appropriately, but also teach them how to disconnect and occupy the rest of their time doing something different. I personally believe this is paramount since this "Techno-frenzy" is aggravating and children seem to be numb. I think it is important for them to enjoy outdoor activities as well, and play with other kids in a face-to-face way for this has positive effects on their subjectivity.

I also found quite appealing her idea of the "sharing-fashion" that is very much present in this new generations. I reckon that we have access to a vast array of information thanks to these new webs that allow people from all over the world to make their contributions, enabling us to pick their brains whenever we have the need to.

Last but not least, I would like to highlight a phrase that somehow summarizes the main purpose of her conference and that we should profit from in our future teaching. She mentioned that the human being is the happiest and is at his best when he/she is actually doing things, creating and actively participating, giving his/her opinion. This is food for thought, especially when our aim is to make the most out of digital tools to enhance learning. We need to get our students to generate and contrue things, since this is a direct way of stimulating their creativity and critical thinking.

Why using Web 2.0 resources for EFL learners?

 In this post I would like to comment upon Web 2.0 resources and how these can be used in the classroom to motivate learners and make ordinary activities more engaging and in keeping with this new generation of students who are immersed in a technological era.

Since this post will be devoted to Web 2.0 and its positive impact on educational affairs, it becomes essential to describe, very briefly, its predecessor Web 1.0 to appreciate the drastic differences of each.

Webs 1.0 use basic html (hypertext mark-up language) for publishing content on the internet and are static web pages. They have read-only content, the web master is solely responsible for updating users and managing the content of the website and mass-publishing is not supported. So we find "passive visitors" that search information without contributing or sharing.

Web 2.0 is the so-called "social web" that encourages creativity, communication and networking among the internet users. In this case we find a "read-write" platform in which users are able to interact and communicate. This web is all about social domains such as blogs, podcast, wikis, and the like. Here, we find "active users" who share and receive multimedia information in an ubiquous way. It allows anyone the chance to become authors and start their own blog or drop their opinion on someone else's.

This image depicts what Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 represent

The first reason for including Web 2.0 tools in the classroom is simply because of context. In one of my previous posts I referred to relevance that lies in creating an artificial context for our learners. These tools can help us in our endless search for innovative ways of introducing real and meaningful tasks and activities in our practices.

 Negotiation of meaning is a must for language learning to take place, and this is only possible when there is interaction through real communication. Not only do Web 2.0 tools facilitate interaction by allowing access to varied input but also integrate the four skills. Blogs and wikis, for instance, provide opportunities for reading and writing, whereas videos and podcasts give access to spoken language. Along with the inclusion of the four skills, students’ individual learning styles are also catered. Their integration is much easier by using these tools. For example, graphic applications and videos are a safe way of tapping into visual and auditory styles.

Another crucial benefit is when teachers decide to construct their own material. The amount of tasks, resources, and educational tips available in the web is jaw dropping. Besides, applications are user-friendly and offer step-by-step video tutorials. So, teachers can create their own material, based on the level of proficiency of their class, and if alterations are needed, it can be edited, deleted or expanded on the spot.

Finally, employing these web tools to our teaching can help students become more autonomous and responsible. If teachers ask them to keep a blog, and they also work with wikis and virtual platforms, students can access the information uploaded there anytime and anywhere, thus enabling learners to complete the activities at their own pace. As a result, they have more freedom and they learn how to distribute their time so as to accomplish the objectives proposed by the teacher.

Interesting tools to include in our lessons

Today I bring you Voki an incredible tool that not only can be used as entertainment but also for educational ends. This application allows users to create their own talking character, customize it to look like historical figures, cartoons, animals, and even yourself!

You can give this avatar a voice by recording with a microphone, typing the message you would like to share, or uploading an audio file. Voki characters can be emailed, shared on social media, and embedded on websites! Plus, it is user friendly and it only takes a few minutes to follow the steps.

If you are looking for a twist in your classroom routines, this tool will help you empower activities for your students and break the mould. They can create their own avatars and you can give instructions and assignments in a completely different way. Students will definitely enjoy creating their character and personalizing it to resemble their appearance, and perhaps can help to refresh the activity repertoire they are used to working with.

Here is my Voki, hope you like it!

Another application that we have been working with in ECO II is Wordle, in which you can generate “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends. However, saving your wordle in the gallery is not the smartest thing to do, since the amount of "wordles" is overwhelming and yours is bound to get lost any time soon. It is always a better choice to cut it and paste it on "paint" and then you have it among your files.

Despite being a rather simple tool, I think it does wonders when it comes to working with grammar, it also reinforces vocabulary, syntax and lexis. It adds a new dimention to the well-known "word order" found in many books that may result a bit dull. Students have the opportunity to create their own wordles without being limited to what they see on the books and this is advantageous for their autonomy and self-steem.

Let's see if you can tackle my wordle, it is about a popular saying... that is the only hint you will get! 

My experience working with Google Docs

I guess you might be wondering what Google Docs is and why is it used for; I will only explain my personal experience using this service but I do not want to go on about the programme as such, since Gisel Cracco (a classmate) wrote a very appealing article about it and I highly recommend you to read it if you would like to learn about it thoroughly. Here's the link to her post, where you will find valuable information about it along with her own experience that may help you decide whether to try it out or not.  So, this post will be limited to my experience as a user.

This year was the very first time I came into contact with this marvelous service when we had to do a practical work for this subject (ECOII). My group and I could not see eye to eye to arrange a date to team up and start working, plus, the only moment we could all be “present” at the same time was late at night so we were in the middle of a pickle! How on earth could we be all together late at night!? Unless we did a pyjama party… but that was not the point at all. We figured it was high time to change the group dynamics and look for a quick and effective solution: Google Docs was the answer to our prayers.

It is a fact that whenever we are trying something completely new we get this oppressive feeling in the chest and doubts assault you in no time. Luckily, our work developed smoothly without any inconvenience and with the tranquility that we were working separately but strongly connected. Since this programme allows you to create documents which can be edited, shared, and opened by different members of the group at the same time, you can see what the other person is actually doing to the file and all the changes done are saved every time you modify something, that is while you are typing. You can also program it to delimit the access to it and none of the adjustments made to the documents are lost, you can browse through it and you will find past editions.

The only pitfall would be that you need internet connection to use it, but it is a minor defect compared to the immense benefits it comprises. I have no further complaints about this programme, it helps you save a lot of time and the whole getting-together issue is resolved. Besides, you feel freer to write without having to discuss every single sentence and in case you want to have a say in what your partner did, it has a chat where you can talk things over and put things into discussion. In case you need to download the document you have different formats available, making it even easier for you to take it with you. In addition to this, it is “dummy-proof” very easy to use, create and addictive too.

For me it’s an ideal way to work in groups, especially when you have tight schedules and you cannot agree on a day to meet. It saves time, you do not lose information, and you can set the boundaries as regards privacy. 

Teacher-designed materials, give it a try!

Having read the article about designing effective English language teaching materials by Jocelyn Howard and Jae Major, I would like to express my point of view regarding the overall article. Personally, I found it to be practical and applicable to our daily practices and could help us expand our teaching horizons.

English language teachers may choose to construct their own teaching materials to meet their instructional purposes and objectives. They do so by tailoring texts, worksheets and activities to suit a particular level, class-size, learning styles and strategies to ensure students are learning to their maximum potential.

Appealing as it may look, it is quite a demanding task that only a few teachers dare to embark on. It is cognitively challenging since a wide array of factors need to be taken into account, and educational goals should be crystal-clear for their successful employment. It becomes crucial for teachers to recognize and spot the instructional objectives and to establish a well-defined idea of what students should be able to do at the end of the lesson. In other words, the establishment of prior objectives will give you a clear perspective on what you want to accomplish with the group.

Additionally, analyzing the group we are working with in depth to gather information regarding their social status, ethnic origin, and interests will give you well-grounded tips to successful material development. Likewise, bearing in mind the variety of intelligences present in the classroom will provide us with important hints to adapt and tailor the material to enhance the learning process.

One of the first positive aspects of teacher-designed material is that the context in which the learning and teaching is taking place is comprised, whereas commercial material is devoid of meaning and ends up being artificial. What’s more, it is produced in a serial and systematic fashion without contemplating the special features of each context, resulting in a lack of interest and identification with the topics dealt. Something even more concerning is that we learn our mother tongue in a natural context, that is why when it comes to teaching another language it is paramount important to create an artificial context within which we can attribute meaning to the language itself. Language is meaning, and meaning is conveyed through language, so if we do not set the conditions for that, the learning will be hindered.

Another issue that goes hand in hand with the context is the resources available. We may have the possibility of taking full advantage of the vast resources of the institution but at some other times, lessons will be impoverished because of the lack of aids. It is here when the teacher gains importance and his or her creativity is at the heart of it to profit from the material he/she manages to construe. Along with this, teacher-designed material is beneficial for those students who do not have access to commercial goods because of their high prices; it is not directed to a unique sector of society, fostering inclusion.

Teacher-designed material is advantageous for individual needs, as I have explained later on, it allows a more flexible approach and it can be modified and articulated to fit a particular group and attend class diversity. This material is designed in the light of the student’s background, experiences, level, and socioeconomic situation, resulting in a personalized instruction that becomes extremely motivating for the learners and rewarding for the teacher.

Working this way will also assure you up-to-date material that is pertinent and relevant to bring about critical discussions in class, let alone the fact that you will tap into the learners’ interest.

Lack of coherence or organization may be the first disadvantage that teacher-made material has. By adopting this crafty way, we run the risk of losing our focus and moving towards unwanted directions. If we decide to construe something by ourselves, we need to have clear in our mind what we are aiming at, to avoid losing perspective. In this case coursebooks do offer a reliable guidance to the teacher, and it is highly likely that they feel more confident and secure following this framework.

Let us imagine we are teaching the animals to a group of kids. For that reason we have decided to design colorful flashcards that resemble the animals because the ones that the book has are not of your liking. In this case, we need to be mindful since kids tend to touch things a lot (they need to make use of all their senses), you will use those flashcards to play memory games, you can hide them in the classroom and they should find them and this may be counterproductive for the material, it may be damaged. Hence, it becomes indispensable for us to plaster the flashcards and make sure the material we used is a good quality one.

Suppose you have your material ready, you are pleased with it and confident it will work out perfectly, and are planning to use it for next class. There is a remarkably important detail we should not let it pass us by: the instructions. These are the cherry on top, without clear, concise and straightforward instructions we won’t make it too far.

Time is an impediment factor for those teachers who are loaded with work and are running against the clock. It is important to strike a balance between life and work; you also need time for yourself and others. Hard work always pays, but when it comes to the final decision you are the one to weigh up the pros and cons of designing your own material. Nevertheless, whenever possible, we should not hesitate to try and offer our students alternative ways of working.

If you found the topic interesting, here's the link to the complete article

Best regards!