Week 10

Dear cyber friends,

We are slowly coming to the end of these amazing 10 weeks, in which I have experienced learning, progress and serious update in the use of web tools for the teaching of English. I am delighted with all the activities we had to accomplish and the quality of the job performed by our class instructor. Courtney was there for us at all times, giving her orientation and feedback timely. I want to take this opportunity to thank the University of Oregon for creating this space for us teachers to be able to come in contact with what’s new out there, and simultaneously, getting in contact with other colleagues and get to learn about their professional and personal lives while trying to be good professionals. I believe this fact helps to get perspective.

I really appreciate your keeping company during all these 10 weeks! It has meant the world to me.

I shall come up with something else, you know me….always in the search. Keep it cool and shinny, you all, ok?

Love and good vibes!

Week 9

Dear all,

One of the aspects discussed this week was Learning Styles/Multiple Intelligences. I have to say I found it very pertinent. I had already shown the need to go to it, when in the postings made in Padlet (week 7) I posted two readings dealing precisely with the need of addressing students’ needs separately. If you are one of my students I really encourage you to take this quiz: http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-learning-styles-quiz to discover your learning style. If you still want to learn more on the topic, I highly suggest this article http://www.nclrc.org/sailing/ which presents in a very organized fashion all the descriptions for the types of learners and suggests strategies. 

Online session

This Week we also had the chance to go online on an online/ synchronic session with Jeff Magoto, who kindly gave us a tour around ANVILL. I Want to thank Jeff for taking time from his busy agenda to give us a training in the use of this extraordinary online resource and for answering all our questions and doubts. Two thumbs up for him!

As for the final project/ Plan report, this week was our deadline for the final submission. I have to thank again Valery and Kungwu for being such a great team to work with. I did all the pertinent changes they suggested and I finally presented my idea for the implementation of an e-portfolio. You can visit the blog I created for this purpose: 
http://baginskaucv.blogspot.com/2013/08/topic-1.html (a warning: it is still under construction!)

Thanks  for your company!

Week 8

Dear online friends on the other side of the screen,

all I have to say is ...

Create a class site or make online exercises

I felt so ambitious about this task! I wanted to use all of the tools, and actually I could only afford to create one activity using the HOT POTATO tool. It was amusing, but I must say that when the moment to upload the activity came, I got really confused with the file extension…I also spent some time adding nice images to the task, and in the end, all I could see was the “html” for every image (that was frustrating) sadly, I did not have any more time to figure out what was going on L almost a catastrophe, but no fear, in the end, it worked out and I could upload it! I created an activity for a beginner’s class in the Language Centre I work for in the afternoons, a crossword. At Uni it is kind of impossible to integrate these game-like activities, given time restrictions.

ANVILL 

This is a tool that I certainly must take some more time to go through… This is an online lab and the activities I checked are based on “real” recordings. I really like this fact, and I let it know to Jeff Magoto, director of the language center at the University of Oregon. We were very lucky to have him for an interesting class discussion and introduction to the use of ANVILL.

First draft and peer review  

And we did it! In my group we had Kunwu, who happens to be the fastest reader ever! and, as I had announced, Valeria. We worked perfectly as a team, we sent and reviewed drafts, and more importantly, we sent the feedbacks. 

I had some problems in this task, and I think this is what complicated my week! I used the wrong format and had to redo everything in 2 hours in order to get an appropriate feedback done. That little mishap stressed me so much (it was on Thursday that Valeria called my attention on that fact) and well, the project was due on Wed… etc….Good thing is that I got it done, and I went through, but that fact totally consumed the time I was going to use for checking ANVILL and preparing the online tool.

Well, two more weeks to go! Keep in tune and see you here next week! 

Blessings!

Mariale

Week 7

Hello dear Cyber friends on the other side of the screen!

Another great week at Building Teaching Skills through the Interactive Web with the University of Oregon filled with learning and cooperative work with my mates at the course, here next read in the detail what I am talking about!

Learner Autonomy

We started our week by reading articles on Learner Autonomy, which came TRULY handy for my own research paper at Uni. I am a supporter of autonomy and always try to implement in my classes strategies oriented to the achievment of it. Two of the articles I enjoyed the most were Dimitrios Thanasoulas What is Learner Autonomy and How can it be Fostered? (link: http://iteslj.org/Articles/Thanasoulas-Autonomy.html) READ IT! It is so enlightening! Another of the authors suggested for this week readings was David Little (link: http://archive.ecml.at/mtp2/Elp_tt/Results/DM_layout/00_10/06/06%20Supplementary%20text.pdf) who presents an article on learner autonomy in which he combines the importance of this approach to the Common European Framework of Reference for Language and the European Language Portfolio and how the ELP supports “institutionally” the development of reflective learning skills.

The One Computer Classroom

On this matter, well, I have nothing much to say but, keep on dreaming, since We do not have computers in our classrooms at EIM, so, I had to create a hypothetical situation to implement an activity using a tool called Padlet (read below) in a One Computer class. What would I do? This is not the right question! The question would be “What wouldn’t I do!” but, ok, I discussed on the completion of an exercise in which students working in groups would present two solid arguments for one of my Terrorism topics (Oklahoma Bombing)

Class PadletAnd talking about tools and Padlet… well, people, this is great! This tool resembles a notice board accessible to all users in which you come and share your document, link, anything. It is so cool that I just have to suggest you visit the website. http://padlet.com/

I had some troubling adding my contribution to the Padlet, (!) and decided to publish an article related to discovering what type of learners we have in our rooms. I also added a video!

Our padlet looks like this: http://padlet.com/wall/l6unvzmlet

In search of a partner!

We are on the count down to the submission of our final project (in fact, as today we have 11 days left) by Wednesday I have to be sending to my partner the draft of my paper. Yes, people, I have a partner! It’s Valeria Evdash, from Tyumen State University in Siberia. (visit her blog at http://valeriaevdash.blogspot.ru/ and learn about her!) I asked her to be my partner and she kindly agreed. Week 8 it looks as a busy week, for a change! 

Looking forward reading your comments!

Week 6

Dear Cyber friends,

This week has been filled with activities as usual, and learning is happening, I have tried new gadgets in the use of a Powerpoint presentation, and the experience was totally rewarding.

Let me just go step-by-step:

This week I had two big things happening 

1) a Powerpoint presentation to submit, and 

2) An oral presentation in the Italian language class I take on Saturdays.

 I decided to prepare a Powerpoint show for my Italian presentation with some of the resources I have just learned in my online course; and, more importantly, I also enhanced one of my presentations for Cultura I, Marcus Garvey, and the results were very satisfactory. I adore my two presentations and I do think I have stopped being illiterate in Powerpoint! I certainly need some more practice, since it takes me forever to do the entire job, but there we go!

you can see Marcus Garvey''s presentation in https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxzdTIwMTN3ZWJza2lsbHN3aWtpfGd4OmZmMzEyYjljOTBhZmYyOQ

This week we were also compelled to think about how to engage our students, create more stimulating classes and make our role as teachers someway more reaching, that is, try to surpass the border of being simply a class convener to become a teacher. I watched a video on a Professor in a Physics class, who is not only following her instincts as a teacher, but who is implementing strategies applied for other people, like Socrates and Piaget, in her teaching. These strategies work. 

Here is the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQra4baNwP8

Week 5

Another week gone and so much learned and to be shared… let’s take it easy, folks, I know you are all willing to know how this week went, but, as usual, let me organize my ideas….

# 1 Rubrics, Assessment, and Project Based Learning….

Resuming with some things I had worked with before, and a karma law in life (\ ohmmmm!) I always land on the territory of fairness… I say this because of the topic “rubric”. To some of you this term will be just one more word of those we believe we know the meaning, but, this happens to be one of these fundamental elements in evaluation: a rubric points the rules of the game! Without a rubric your students will never know what you were expecting from them. I have discussed this issue with my colleagues, and yes, we always argue how hard and subjective the creation of rubrics is, but, for God's sake, how important they are.

In any case, reflecting on the definition of grading rubrics always helps you return to the essence of what you are doing, that is, TEACH.

For my assignment I shared a rubric I have used in my written exams in 2^nd year. Looking forward hearing to the corrections and working on the improvement of it.

Txs Courtney!

# 2

I was also requested to either create a rubric or alternative assessment tool. I went for the creation of an alternative assessment and I am trying to work on the implementation of the use of online diaries and the creation of Podcast as a final class project. The idea would be to record the experience of every learner towards the development of a Podcast on a topic previously assigned. Comment on every step of the project and capture how the students evolve in this process. Again, this is a project of a possible activity involving the new tools we are learning. I wonder what you would have come up with…

# 3 Webquest 

As an extra activity, Courtney suggested trying with Webquests, and even though I was running short with time, I decided to go for it and create one… Well, must say I was very happy I tried. I found myself doing  serious exegesis regarding my proposal, and, of course, working hard on the evaluating rubric. Here is the link, please check it and tell me what you think of it, ok?

http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=206017

How is your research going? # 4

 Describe a Technology Related Change

...and as usual, our weekly reflection on our piece of research. I decided to go for a digital portfolio. I know this will represent a change in what I have been doing, but, this is the reason of this program, to build new teaching skills. I promise to develop this idea further in my next week posting. Must say I have been showing a bad pain on my right hand and it is making it hard for me to type… 

Week 4

# 1

Reading, Writing, and Vocabulary Skills 

I decided this would be my first task this week. I chose an interesting text written by a fellow Polish teacher, Jarek Krajka, on writing projects in various genres and the implementation of technology. She talks about argumentative writing and how she added technology to the excercise. I decided I would use her experience to reinforce my writing portfolio in 2^nd year at the UCV. After reading her text I have decided to implement the use of new online resources to help my students in their process of data gathering when preparing for the writing about Terrorism or Freedom fighters. I believe that by guiding my students, giving them the appropriate links they can resource to and checking their progress with the class on a daily basis, we can’t go wrong!

# 2
Technology Enhanced Lesson Plan 

To continue, this week we also had to explain how the implementation of technology would improve a lesson. I chose again my 2nd year class and  Nelson Mandela’s component (by the way, happy b-day, Madiba!) and how the discussion of a preview of the movie “Cry Freedom” could help my students to have a clearer picture of the Apartheid in South Africa. This is a component I really feel excited about, because it is more than simply teaching my students how to write properly, but to help them create an opinion through the extensive reading and research of materials related to the topic.

# 3 

How is your research going?

Describe a class issue

To report on my research process, this week we had to discuss the existence of an issue in our teaching environment that could be sorted out with the implementation of technology. For my dear students of the EIM and fellow teachers likewise, we know this issue is easy: we have NO technology in our classrooms. Saying that we do not count on certain resources would be mean and imprecise; but I stick to my dream, I so want to have a smart board! I dare to dream. The options in my class would expand only by having a set-up radio there, let alone a SMARTBOARD. Maybe if I say it loud it will come true!