Here we have a lot of interesting and useful links displayed in Padlet. It allows us to share resources and materials and it's incredibly practical for teachers.
https://es.padlet.com/juliacampellop/uep8bjp3qza7
miércoles, 20 de febrero de 2019
lunes, 4 de febrero de 2019
Unit 5: Task 3
Blogs are nowadays an important tool in the classroom since they have many advantages: it is a free, accessible and easy way of sharing content. It allows us also to improve our skills. They offer different methodologies and accessibility to online resources such as videos or links.
There are different types of blogs, as it can be appreciated in the different links provided in section 4. In my opinion, a good choice for an English class is The Tutor blog ( https://juanjoromero.es/ ), which is run by the teacher and can contain online resources, as it has been mentioned above.
I also considered that they are really useful outside the class environment because it can be a daily tool for learning English. For instance, this blog (https://www.espressoenglish.net/english-tips-blog/) offers the possibility of learning new idioms, vocabulary or pronunciation tips.
viernes, 1 de febrero de 2019
Unit 5: Task 2
Sharing Links
There are much different Content Management Systems (CMS): Joomla, Drupal, PHP-Nuke, SPIP, Zikula, Moodle, and VLE.
After checking the links provided by our teachers, twelve in total, I consider that the websites offered in the section of Joomla and Mestre a Casa are the most complete. They are well-structured and full of information. Moreover, Addressee interactivity through social is presented on both websites. It means the possibility of users to share information in social media to target people who can be interested in the page content. In addition, both are quick, intuitive and simple so the invite the user to stay without additional effort and paying attention to the content.
Furthermore, I would like to add that I consider really important that Mestre a Casa offers the possibility of using the page in Valencian and in Spanish. Consequently, it is aware of how language delimits the target public because of their bilingual availability.
For those reasons, I consider the following links my favorite ones for taking them as future references.
http://www.iesdoctorbalmis.com/ created by Joomla.
http://mestreacasa.gva.es/web/ieshaygon created by using Mestre a casa.
Unit 5: Task 1
JOOMLA! Discovering new tools.
Joomla! is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) for publishing web content. It is built on a model–view–controller web application framework that can be used independently of the CMS that allows you to build powerful online applications.
It is a free platform that offers the possibility of creating a collaborative environment for students and teachers because provides us tools for creating content, it also offers content management such as editing, archiving, publishing, collaborating on, reporting and distributing website content, data and information. In addition, it presents many advantages for the users, like creating new content and personalize the webpage using different templates and resources.
Moreover, apart of the education environment, it can be used for many things, such as small business websites, e-commerce, and online reservations, corporate websites or portals and online magazines and newspapers. Consequently, it is one of the most popular website software thanks to its global community of developers and volunteers, who make sure that the platform is user multilingual, responsive, safe, accessible, among other advantages.
Personally, I find a lot of extensions offered by Joomla quite useful and interesting, especially: Joom donation and JA Image HotSpot.
One the one hand, Joom Donation is leading donation extension for Joomla. It is based on getting donations and collecting the donor’s information. The donations can be one-time and recurring and through payments platforms such as Paypal, Authorize.net, Stripe, Eway, Moneybooker etc.
On the other hand,
JA Image HotSpot is used to produce images or collages which can help our students to understand the content through images.
viernes, 18 de enero de 2019
Unit 4: Task 2
Cloud- services
The term cloud services is a broad category that encompasses the myriad IT resources provided over the Internet. The expression may also be used to describe professional services that support the selection, deployment and ongoing management of various cloud-based resources. Nowadays, some companies which offer this type of service are Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Box, Carbonite, and Dropbox.
On the one hand, some advantages the cloud presents are the scale and cost since users start with few GB of free storage and buying extra capacity is cheap; encapsulated change management, and agility because cloud services go very fast. Moreover, they offer to store your digital photos, music, videos, and documents on web-connected computers using a personal or work email account. Basically, the most technological advantages that they have made possible are related to accessibility of the user's information. You can have access to it using your smartphone, even you keep it in your laptop or the other way around. It allows us to be connected to our info and data everywhere.
On the other hand, concerning disadvantages, one of the potential problems is security. Hackers can steal our data and personal information. However, cloud service provides safe encryption and password protection for preventing security problems. In order to ensure their customers, they offer a safe and protected service. Nevertheless, that can be another problem because it means that the companies that provide the service are the ones that actually have control over the hardware used to store data and over the information itself.
In relation to my daily life use or experience with cloud services, I would like to use it more. I do a backup every month in case something happens to my mobile I cannot get back everything I had. I also use Dropbox and Google Drive for college or work in order to have all my projects ready and accessible. However, as I have said, one of my purposes is to discover new advantages and use more frequently cloud services.
miércoles, 16 de enero de 2019
Unit 3. Task 2.
I studied English Studies at the University of Alicante, and I studied a Master in Secondary Education last year so I would like to be an English teacher in CSE. So, I would like to be an English teacher in Secondary Education in Spain, which corresponds to “ESO” and “Bachillerato”.
First of all, methodology is essential for students’ learning process since it represents the different ways in which information could be presented and taught. Regarding, my experience as I student, I think one of the best methodologies is Task-Based Learning because embraces interactivity, dynamism and cooperative work.
Also, tasks reflect real and daily situations that students could face in the future so they can consider English subject as something useful and interesting that they can include even in their routine. Consequently, when I become a teacher, I will use this method in order to motivate my students and catch their attention and interest since other theoretical methods such as Grammar Method or Direct Method are focused on other concepts and approaches.
Finally, some learning strategies associated with TBL games, watching TV series, talking about teenagers’ interests, teamwork, role play, social networks or debates. In conclusion, TBL allows students to learn in a free environment where teachers guide them instead of imposing knowledge on them and as a teacher it allows us to create a good at the atmosphere in which students can develop their English skills.
domingo, 23 de diciembre de 2018
Unit 2: Task 1- Students' Needs
The teaching material that is going to be analysed is “Over to you Student’s book
Bachillerato 1” edited by Bess Bradfield and published by Oxford. The unit that I have
selected for this work is “Unit 4: Read it, watch it” which goes from page 41 to 53.
The unit starts with a section where it is introduced some vocabulary related to films and
costumes. Then, it continues with a reading about the film “Slumdog Millionaire”.
Grammar is the following point in the unit where is explained defining and non-defining
relative clauses. Succeeding, the unit emphases on vocabulary and listening, Wordbuilding, writing and speaking. Finally, the unit ends up with a section of extra vocabulary
which also includes a dictionary skill focused on pronunciation.
Goals are set and explicitly stated. They are at the beginning of the page on the up-right corner. It can be observed that there are some objectives more obvious than other ones. The simplest one for students can be: vocabulary (films and books), grammar (relative clauses) and writing (a review). In Word-building (phrasal verbs), speaking (Collaboration 1), in my opinion, objective is more hidden, and the information provided is insufficient because I do know what students can interpret reading “Collaboration 1” without further information. Moreover, the objectives of the unit are not specified at the top of each section of the unit.
On the one hand, this unit introduces to the students a specific topic which is films. Apart of it includes some subtopics such as genres, costumes, or given your opinion of a book or a film. There are some sections as “over to you” at the end of each page of the unit which promotes students to give their opinions or having a critical though because it considers student’s background and different job’s motivation/aspiration according to their skills or personalities. Nevertheless, I contemplate that knowing about costumes is not what most interest people of first of bachillerato. In relation of films, I would focus on short stories, gossips, special effects, etc. Despite this fact the unit follows a conductive tread during the whole unit. On the other hand, exercises are not classified by levels as in mosaic are. So, I consider that they are not divided according to student’s needs in terms of academic evaluation.
As I mentioned before, I consider that some subtopics developed in the unit are not interesting for teenagers. They could be more interesting for students if they are introduced in a different way. For instance, the fact of presenting costumes randomly instead of those one that interest them. Also, I would like to add that the film selected in the reading section “Slumdog Millionaire” is quite old-fashioned because I remember that I watched it when I was 13 or 14. The fact of have not watched the film or not to be familiar with some subtopics can demotivate students in their work. The only section which involves students as a person is “over to you” which also encourages students to be more confident when they express their opinions and it invites them to be more open-minded with other cultures.
The unit proposes different kind of activities. From my point of view the section, over to
you as I have mentioned before provides the most creative ones. In the grammar section the activities are more mechanical, the students have to order the sentences according to the grammar explanation, but there is only one activity that allows students to be original and to think is they have really learnt in this section. Moreover, I would like to mention that grammar is introduced in the reading deductive: box about direct speech (language focus). However, reported speech will not be introduced until three units later. So, it can be confused for the students. Regarding reading comprehension, there are pre-reading and pre- writing activities located in the section over to you. Such as: Do you think that Ram will answer the next
question correctly? Why? Why not? One of the best points of this unit is that provides a context and a reason for do the exercises. For instance, on page 41 listening an interview to know vocabulary. It is not provided only a list of vocabulary, on the contrary students are encouraged to work with them. I would like to mention, there are some activities which allows teacher to practice writingspeaking as activity 5 of page 41 because is not defined if it is oral or written.
The unit that is being analysed provides some self-evaluation activities. They are in the grammar section in which students need to go to grammar bank section at the end of the book and check their answers as an excuse to look the entire grammar explanation. There is another activity which encourages competition asking such as in page 44 activity 3b: Who gets the most correct answers? But, I think that it may is unnecessary since students of this level have other concerns.
Most of the activities are individual, and interaction between students is only allowed in
Over to you section. In my opinion, communication is the main goal of language, and not letting students to work in a cooperative way, can make difficult the learning process. Except for workbook activities, there are not support material allowing for the work to continue after class.
The grammar section of the unit is defining and non- defining relative clauses. Although, as I have mentioned before there are sections in which other grammar explanations are included, but superficially. Grammar is not in the unit. The explanation is in the grammar bank at the end of the book. There are two orange boxes used as excuse to think about what defining and non-defining relative clauses are. Grammar activities, as I have mentioned before are controlled. Some of them mix up grammar and vocabulary, which I firmly believe is positive for students and helps them to consolidate what they have learnt progressively. The unit works with writing, reading, listening and speaking skills. All the activities related with language skills introduce some warm activities before the main task. Every language skill is presented within a framework and follow the topics that I mentioned before. The common thread that unifies writing, listening, speaking and reading skills is “cinema”.
More context information must have been required. Considering that Slumdog Millionaire was produced by Bollywood one of the biggest cinematographic industries, it will be interesting to explain to students what and how important it is. There is a pre-reading strategy in a small box with information and a tiny context is provided, but I consider it is incomplete, because it mentions that the prize is winning a million rupees. But do students know what is a rupee? A section promoting inter- cultural awareness and providing an India cultural background would encourage them to know about other cultures, which from my point of view, is essential for everybody’s life.
Goals are set and explicitly stated. They are at the beginning of the page on the up-right corner. It can be observed that there are some objectives more obvious than other ones. The simplest one for students can be: vocabulary (films and books), grammar (relative clauses) and writing (a review). In Word-building (phrasal verbs), speaking (Collaboration 1), in my opinion, objective is more hidden, and the information provided is insufficient because I do know what students can interpret reading “Collaboration 1” without further information. Moreover, the objectives of the unit are not specified at the top of each section of the unit.
On the one hand, this unit introduces to the students a specific topic which is films. Apart of it includes some subtopics such as genres, costumes, or given your opinion of a book or a film. There are some sections as “over to you” at the end of each page of the unit which promotes students to give their opinions or having a critical though because it considers student’s background and different job’s motivation/aspiration according to their skills or personalities. Nevertheless, I contemplate that knowing about costumes is not what most interest people of first of bachillerato. In relation of films, I would focus on short stories, gossips, special effects, etc. Despite this fact the unit follows a conductive tread during the whole unit. On the other hand, exercises are not classified by levels as in mosaic are. So, I consider that they are not divided according to student’s needs in terms of academic evaluation.
As I mentioned before, I consider that some subtopics developed in the unit are not interesting for teenagers. They could be more interesting for students if they are introduced in a different way. For instance, the fact of presenting costumes randomly instead of those one that interest them. Also, I would like to add that the film selected in the reading section “Slumdog Millionaire” is quite old-fashioned because I remember that I watched it when I was 13 or 14. The fact of have not watched the film or not to be familiar with some subtopics can demotivate students in their work. The only section which involves students as a person is “over to you” which also encourages students to be more confident when they express their opinions and it invites them to be more open-minded with other cultures.
The unit proposes different kind of activities. From my point of view the section, over to
you as I have mentioned before provides the most creative ones. In the grammar section the activities are more mechanical, the students have to order the sentences according to the grammar explanation, but there is only one activity that allows students to be original and to think is they have really learnt in this section. Moreover, I would like to mention that grammar is introduced in the reading deductive: box about direct speech (language focus). However, reported speech will not be introduced until three units later. So, it can be confused for the students. Regarding reading comprehension, there are pre-reading and pre- writing activities located in the section over to you. Such as: Do you think that Ram will answer the next
question correctly? Why? Why not? One of the best points of this unit is that provides a context and a reason for do the exercises. For instance, on page 41 listening an interview to know vocabulary. It is not provided only a list of vocabulary, on the contrary students are encouraged to work with them. I would like to mention, there are some activities which allows teacher to practice writingspeaking as activity 5 of page 41 because is not defined if it is oral or written.
The unit that is being analysed provides some self-evaluation activities. They are in the grammar section in which students need to go to grammar bank section at the end of the book and check their answers as an excuse to look the entire grammar explanation. There is another activity which encourages competition asking such as in page 44 activity 3b: Who gets the most correct answers? But, I think that it may is unnecessary since students of this level have other concerns.
Most of the activities are individual, and interaction between students is only allowed in
Over to you section. In my opinion, communication is the main goal of language, and not letting students to work in a cooperative way, can make difficult the learning process. Except for workbook activities, there are not support material allowing for the work to continue after class.
The grammar section of the unit is defining and non- defining relative clauses. Although, as I have mentioned before there are sections in which other grammar explanations are included, but superficially. Grammar is not in the unit. The explanation is in the grammar bank at the end of the book. There are two orange boxes used as excuse to think about what defining and non-defining relative clauses are. Grammar activities, as I have mentioned before are controlled. Some of them mix up grammar and vocabulary, which I firmly believe is positive for students and helps them to consolidate what they have learnt progressively. The unit works with writing, reading, listening and speaking skills. All the activities related with language skills introduce some warm activities before the main task. Every language skill is presented within a framework and follow the topics that I mentioned before. The common thread that unifies writing, listening, speaking and reading skills is “cinema”.
More context information must have been required. Considering that Slumdog Millionaire was produced by Bollywood one of the biggest cinematographic industries, it will be interesting to explain to students what and how important it is. There is a pre-reading strategy in a small box with information and a tiny context is provided, but I consider it is incomplete, because it mentions that the prize is winning a million rupees. But do students know what is a rupee? A section promoting inter- cultural awareness and providing an India cultural background would encourage them to know about other cultures, which from my point of view, is essential for everybody’s life.
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