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.