Wednesday, April 27 2016

Week 14: Providing feedback using technology.

Rate: 5

Susana Constanza

The short reading for this final week was really interesting. I felt interested to know more about this topic. Firstly, I consider that using technology to provide feedback is a challenge; teachers tend to give assessment in a traditional way. In another hand, it is useful instead of spend hours with each student. Suddenly, educators of a foreign language are not trained about how to use technology because in our country is not used massively and explored, but it allow me to think about the challenge that we have as a future teachers and to be open to technologies as a resource of the new education and how it would work in term of to provide a formative assessment and assessment for learning.

Second, screen cast is a term that sounds familiar, but in the area of CALL I didn’t notice, but I found interesting. It is a great idea because it break the barriers between teacher-student, student –teacher and is a new way to give feedback. At the beginning it can appear complicated, so in my own opinion is would  be complicated because we are not adapted to use those tools or software or in order cases teachers prefer  not use it because is a challenge for them , but if we have the training how to do it : Why we can’t use it?. I want to conclude saying that assessment is important for students, in this subject Instructional Technology we tend to receive it on line most of the time and I notice that it works very well. Now, it is a guide for me to apply in the future with my future students. 

Wednesday, April 21 2016
Week:13. Project Work
Rate:****3
Susana Constanza.

The weeks are almost finished . The readings are being showed us important lessons related on the teaching field.
In terms of teachig a foreing language (not only English) as teachers we can bring some benefitsfor students through to make proyect work in the classroom. Those projects, allows students to act activaly,look for  information, procesing and increase their content knowledge etc.However, I would like to focus on the article:"Seven Essencials for Proyect Base Learning", because I consider that we can take abvantage of this article. that proyect works wre significants among students . A well designed proyect will help students a lot I noticed 10 steps to maxime the potencial of proyect work and how it works.In another hand, something that call me the attention was some importanys words which I would like to repeat and it says:" A project should give to students the oportunity to build collaboration, communication , critical thinking and using technology .It allows students studets to have success in ther proyect-base learning.

Sunday, April 17 2016
Week 12: " Community Classroom
Rate: 5
Susana Constanza

" Ideas are likes rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them and pretty soon you have a dozen " .John Steinbeck (1902-1968).
Comparing rabbits with the pair work is kind el funny but trutful as welll.After the reading of this article I learned two important things things.Firts , think pair allows students learn through the interactions. I want to mention The Communicative Language Teaching is a method employed into classroom for students to listen less teacher and speak more such as community because the focus is the participation of student . As a result to this, student have a hights participation than teacher and is the moment when teachers listen students what they are producing .It reminded me teachers Sandra Duran and Lorena Pere'z method . Most of the time talking with a partner and explain to each other about the different task , comparing, sharing .Now , in our class lessons we are applying this method because students need to have a change to each other .
Second, the benefits of getting students to participate in the classroom discussion. Saddly, in our system of education teachers tend to participate more than students like the leader of the orchestra , who are controlling each stage in every single task
 I want to conclude saying that encourages dialogue among and between students participation gives studets the change to practice using a different vocabulary, developing important speaking skills , allows teachers observing how much they talk to help them .

Wednesday, March 16 2016

Week 9: Using Mobile Phones

Rate: *****5

Susana Constanza

The reading for this week is very unusual. After the reading I found twenty interesting ideas for using Mobile Phones. I consider that those are ideas are practical; unconsciously we are using Mobile Phones for everything. If we use those phones for learning a second language as a result to this, the learning would be easier for us. Nowadays all of us we have one , but in the case of children they don’t have, for that reason I consider that this method  is  for teenagers, young and adults who are learning a second language.

One significant phrase the author of the article claim is that phones are social tools that facilitate authentic and relevant communication and collaborating among learners. Also, students can control over their own learning.
Firstly, one of the idea that call me the attention was using the text messaging feature to reinforce vocabulary learning .I used to do this and I can say that it works because it allow us to remember better the words because is a different strategy to reinforce vocabulary learning . Another was use the voice Memo Recorder Feature to record conversations outside de classroom. I think that it so benefit to collect information about interviews and conversations trying to use the language as much as possible . Finally one of the well know strategy is use the mobile phone for social networking, specially facebook and whatssap .It allows students interact to each other using the language , by a conversation, sharing information, photos, post comments, to be part of a group, discussing  etc .Actually  this idea is used by many students .

In conclusion, those ideas are planned to students with the purpose that they take a lot of advantages while there are learning the second language. They always are carrying  one, and this is practical , easy and significant to use in the daily life and for teachers is useful to provide tasks. 

Wednesday, March 16 2016

Week 9: Increasing vocabulary using online resources

Rate: *****3

Susana Constanza

One of resources and the most common which we can assist vocabulary are dictionaries. I remember  at the begnning, when I was studying English in the school, I used to use English-Spanish, Spanish –English dictionary, the most famous dictionary and all of my classmates used to use it as well. We didn’t have access to online –dictionaries because technology was not close us. However, nowadays, dictionaries on line have been increase and we are able to have access to them, and also those appear as applications on cellphones. When I start use online Cambridge, Webster, McMillan dictionaries on line I noticed that they are so helpful and easy to use them.

In general terms, vocabulary and reading are closely related. Now I won’t talk about dictionaries, I will talk about using technology to acquire vocabulary. I consider that students feel more motivated learning vocabulary online or through different activities using computers, such as games, power presentations, websites, etc. We have a lot of advantages compared with the last years where technology has not been increase in the teching field. The article remarks the benefits of using multimedia which plays an important part in reading comprehension. In my point of view, I consider that teacher is the facilitator to provide students meaningful task using technology in  which they can work and make a comprehensible reading and then acquire the vocabulary, and students need to be oriented about  the pronunciation and look for the most reliable resource which provide meaningful learning and enrich the vocabulary

Wednesday, March 9 2016
Week 8. Promoting Collaborative Writing .
Rate *3
Susana Constanza

The article for this new week are following the secuence of the previos article. According that I learned, the main idea for this article is that learners use wiki pages such as an useful tool which can allows them to practice, grafting , rewriting , editing and proof reading , at the same time promoting collaborative writing task outside the classroom. After de reading , I could say as a students of languages ,I analyze how teachers can promote wikis and how it could helps students specially in a Composition I and II.

Using wikis is another different method to motivate students to develop writing skill through community even though if  some of the sites are not relialable . Community allows students to narrow each other as a team work , creating learners autonomy and critical thinking.So, in firts place , learners need to be oriented about the use of wikis on line  and the task or evaluations assigned during the course will be planning .In my opinion , this method could be useful for learners, because wikis is free, easy to learn and use.Suddendly, teachers not tend to use those kinds of online resources in Compostion, they use traditional methods and students can not discover diversity of materiasl which could help them to think critically and freely.

Wednesday, March 02 2016
Week 7:Using diversity of websites in ESL.
Rate *5
Susana Constanza

 In general terms, I have been analyzed the articles readied the recently weeks. All of them were talking about using technology to helps students to acquire the second language and to develop listening, speaking, grammar skills, but this week one of the article is focused on writing skills. 

During the reading I learned two important things. In first place, I learned how to use the technology for teach writing. Suddenly, teachers not receive a trainer about how to include technology in the curriculum. So, if we include it in the  lesson is necessary to adapt according to the age, and level of the students .Actually, in internet we can find a helpful websites , I checked some of them such as letters, bibliography, an argumentative essay, notices and advisertment, description or review of a book, film or play, etc. I found interesting for students, because assigning activities in those websites, students can develop not only writing skills, also reading and speaking skills. Teachers must provide them not only materials for learners because students need real materials which allows them interact with real situations.

In second place, I learned how to use the internet for children focused in the reading skill. There are some creative websites designers for children. The teacher  can do make the reading experience more productive and interesting by planning creativity  activities .Finally, I would like to say that nowadays we have some resources on line designed to develop the skills, so we need to take advantage of those websites and select the best for our students .