Course is over

Yes, this is the final post in this blog. For now, at least.

We've learned lots of interesting things in this course, called "Building teacher skills through the interactive web". That was a good title, since that is what we've been doing. We've been practising with the interactive web, with its use and methodology to improve our teacher skills. In my case, the teacher training skills.

After reading the messages of the discussions, I can say that we've all learned and built our teacher skills.

Some issues were new to me, some were not. But anyway, all were interesting, and all relevant.

My final sentence is a thank you to Donna Shaw. She's done a magnificent job and I wish all the best to her.

Final draft of the project

This week we've uploaded the final draft of the project. It's been an interesting way of doing it, since we've needed to send it first to another participant and with the new suggestions, build the final draft.

My partner for the project has been Alex Suárez, and I appreciate very much what she said I could do better. This way of working needs to be adapted to the center where I work.

On the other hand, this week's has been on learning styles and multiple intelligences. That is a topic of great interest to me. I've read a lot by Howar Gardnder, and recently, his book "Five minds for the future". And I can say that (also after some training on neuro-linguistic programming), we are all different. All of our minds work differently, and so, learn differently. As teachers, it is a challenge to know all this in order to be able to reach each and everyone of our students. They deserve it if we want to make a better world.

The course is coming to an end, I'm afraid. I've already sent the course evaluation. It is a great pity and, after some doubts at the beginning, I'm happy for having taken part on it.

Communication

This week we've had an interesting discussion. I've got to know ANVILL, and LinguaFolio. Both go in the same direction as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and the European Languages Portfolio (with the e-ELP tool).

Being in Europe, most of the influence that Spain receives when it comes to teaching English and other languages, comes from the European Council, or the European Commission. Several years ago they decided that to promote European Citizenship it was important that people could speak several languages. It is what they called the 2+1 policy: everybody should speak his or her mother language, a foreign language, and English.

Thus, the methodology needed a complete change. After years of studying a foreign language people could barely survive in the country where that language was spoken. That was no use. A functional approach was needed, with COMMUNICATION being the first objective. So, instead of being the spine of language teaching, grammar was left to a second stage, once you have enough skills to communicate efficiently in the language. Stressed was set on speaking, listening, writing, reading and interacting.

It is great to know that the US is going in the same way, placing the communicative skills on top of language teaching. Now I'd like to know other countries policy in this way, like Australia or New Zealand, where I'm sure that interesting initiatives are taking place.

Besides all this, this week we've shared the first draft of our project.

Week 8

This week we've read and talked about learner autonomy. There were two interesting articles, and I enjoyed reading the reflections left by all on the discussion.

The big question here is what is the teacher's role in the classroom. Do we have, as teachers, all the knowledge and so the students have to take it from us, or can the students, as intelligent human beings, learn on their own some time.

According to several theories, learning is a social activity. What we learn comes from others. But is that "others" always the teacher? Could it be a peer student? Could it be the internet?... Besides, learning requires high cognitive activity in the student's brain. And so, students need to engage themselves in their learning.

We've also prepared a lesson plan for a one computer class. In my case, I've prepared a plan for a teacher training session. That was not too difficult, since most of these lessons are carried this way.

And finally, we've chosen a partner for the project. That is an exciting experience, since we are going to have someone to scan thoroughly what we do in order to make it better.

Preparing for the plan

Previously, I've written:

"The course I am going to base my project on is directed to train teachers that teach non-linguistic-areas through a CLIL methodology in bilingual public schools in the area of Granada, Spain. The main aim is to reinforce CLIL methodology in their classes. If I need to describe one problem they have, it is that sometimes they feel they have to invent the wheel all the time: they don't have adecuate text books and so, they have to create their own materials continuously. In our training courses and sesions, we try to make them share materials and build together new ones, but that is not always easy. Individualism is a central part of our proffesional culture. I've seen several lessons made by different teachers that address the same topics: water cycle for 2nd graders in Primary, integers for 1st graders in Secondary... That is a waste of energy and time. In that sense, I feel that technologies can help a lot. There are many ways to enhance collaborative projects so that teachers build together their materials, and share what they've previously done. We've tried several approaches (some of them technology based), but I'm learning a lot from this particular course, and I think that maybe we can try blogging. We've never done that before. I'm thinking of blogging as a resource for teachers to write their ideas and the stages they pass while making new CLIL materials. All blogs would be connected, and teachers would have to comment on other teachers' blogs, knowing what others are doing and receiving comments on what they are doing. This idea need to be developed, anyway."

"The technology-related solution for that could be blogging. If teachers have to post every certain time, after every certain step they take, we could be more on top of what their problems are in order to provide a solution. Besides, if they have to comment on other teachers' blogs, they could be aware of other similar problems and how they have been solved. Keeping a public diary helps the teachers reflect on their own and others' process of learning and helps the trainers help the teachers."

To achieve all this teachers would have to open an account at blogger.com, and that needs to be done presentially, in my opinion. Besides, they would have to follow other teachers's blogs. This means that the activity would be blended training, with a part online and a presential part, there in our center. Knowing personally the teacher you will follow on the web adds a human component to the process.

The rubric for blogging would be presented also in that sesion, and have teachers assess other already prepared blogs.

Interactivity

This week we've learned to prepare an interactive presentation with Power Point. This was new to most of us. We had all use Power Point up to some degree or another, but always as a directive approach of presenting.

And now it is clear that we can make interactive activities with this program, as well as other ones such as Hot Potatoes, JClic, etc.

Besides, we've discussed the problem of large classes. We normally don't have this kind of problem in Spain. The law says that they can't exceed 25 students in Primary and 30 in Secondary Education. Years ago I read a book about different school systems around the world for a job I had to do, and discovered that in Asia class size is not a major problem, since there are (or were) no behabioral problems. But in teacher training we normally address large groups of people in order to maximize the invested money.

So, student grouping and methodology (like an interactive approach) are essential. Project based learning and student centered education are the best way to ensure the engagement of students, be it in large classes or not.

Something is changing in education

They say that if a XIX century doctor stepped today into an operating room, everything would be completely different from what he or she knew. But if a XIX century teacher came today to a classroom, he or she would feel that not much had changed.

If I went to an eye doctor with cataract, I would ask for the last surgical technique, I wouldn't accept a scalpel. And still, a lot of teachers are "operating with scalpels", teaching the same as in XIX century with the argument that that's what they've done all their life and it has worked. Besides, parents aren't still concerned with the last "educational technique".

But, slowly, educational science is making a lot of progress. The world is moving towards a common educational science, sharing the methodological and technical advance. Lessons based on teacher talks in which students listen, study and pass an exam, are starting to be over. We know how does the brain learn, and that knowledge is starting to be applied to schools. We know what works and what doesn't, what makes the students get involved and learn, and what doesn't. Society is more complex now, uncertain and full of networks. And so, schools need to change in order to empower the people to live competently in it.

This week we have worked with alternative assessment (basically with rubrics), project based learning, webquests, and so on. These are good ways to make the students grow to their full potential, turning into XXI century citizens.

I don't know how will be the schools in ten years time, but I hope that these techniques (or better ones) have conquered the world.

Structured tasks

Now that week 4 is almost over, I can say that it's been a hard one for me. Many issues to attend have prevented me from taking care of the course until this Sunday. I haven't enjoyed as much as other weeks because of the hurry, but learned many things anyway.

For example, that there are many sites that help teachers with reading and writing skills, and many that integrate different skills. Also, confirmed that learning in collaboration is always better. Reading all the messages and the blogs is really interesting.

But the question I'd like to point out is the structure of the course itself. I thank the clarity of the course site. All the materials are in place, neat and findable. The tasks are there, at your disposal all the time, as a reference of what you should be doing. Besides, Donna's messages make it even clearer at the beginning and middle of each week. Whenever I am not really sure of what to do, I have several places to look and find. And then breathe, because I know what is expected of me. We're learning how to teach different skills and at the same time, giving small steps to help us with the final project.

I think that, not only when teaching, in teacher training, expectations should also be very clear all the time. After all, learning is the same process for teen students or adult teachers.

I like this course.

Technologies have changed learning

Along this week we've seen several things. One is that technologies can help enhance aural/oral skills. In that sense, I feel that technologies can help enhance all aspects of life, including learning, including all foreign language skills. There are many sites other students in the course have recommended that are useful and interesting.

For the Spanish language speakers, teaching foreign language, let me recommend you the site of a good friend, full on well organized links: http://www.isabelperez.com

But what do we do with all this sites, how do we organized them? There comes Delicious, Diigo and other bookmarking tools. I've been using Delicious at my job, but for personal use I still trust Mr. Google to quickly fin the needed url. Maybe I'll change that with time.

Another thing we've done this week is reading the project plan report of a previous student of this course. I chose one by a teacher trainer from South Africa. Learning about their program has been an interesting experience.

One conclusion for this week is that technologies, in general, have changed society, and consequently learning. I'm engaged in a course organised by a University at Oregon with peer students from all around the world talking about common issues. It is marvellous to attend this course with people from four continents.

Good planning

Sometimes it is difficult when it comes to planning in Education. And yet, all teachers around the world need to plan what they are going to do. After all, teaching is more a science than an art. You can learn how to do it properly, and there are ways that work and others that don't.

Sometimes I listen that planning in Education goes against action. People often say that too much planning can be a corset, but I don't quite agree with that: the more you plan, the more free you can feel to act differently if the situation requires it.

What we need to do, in my opinion, is plan properly: say what you want to do, with whom, in what situation or context, with what resources, with what methodology, how are you going to evaluate it, with what purpose...

So, when it comes to objectives, I've never found a better model than the ABCD one proposed in the course. Taking into account the learners, what you expect from them, the context, and the evaluation criteria is simply great. All teachers in my Authonomic Region of Spain have to make public their evaluation criteria, and the best thing they can do is have good teaching objectives related to that.

I am going to try to use the ABCD model from now on when planning teaching objectives, be it in teacher training or in teaching kids.

Starting to blog

This is the first time I blog. At least at blogger.com. At the teacher training center where I work I've made many posts with announcements and such that can be viewed as a blog. But I've never written anything like this, a diary reflecting on what I'm doing.

And I suppose that is the purpose. If you reflect on what you are doing, in a deliberate way, you can better see what can be done to improve your performance.

I'm sure that this is a useful self-evaluation.
Juan.