Blog 1_SS2015

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Permalink Reply by Joel Peña on February 27, 2015 at 9:51pm

To start off, my group and I decided to present the proper way to use adjectives. Not just the proper way to use adjectives but how to use them when describing something or someone. This activity I found very strong because you get to learn different techniques of creative teaching. The students also learn different ways to use adjectives. I found this activity fairly interesting for my class because it not only gets you to interact with one another but you get to learn from each other. We could also keep in mind that obviously the main focus was not to learn how to use the first, second or the third person forms but it just so happened that it was incorporated in the activity we were presenting and it serves as a purpose for future reference.

Due to differentiating instruction reasons I would have went around the room making sure that everyone understood the activity effectively and whoever did not understand the activity completely, would pair up with other students who did understand. This way I would not leave any students behind or let them feel left out. There are plenty of methods that could be used for those groups of students who have the capacity to move on quicker than others and also for those who have trouble moving on as fast as others. Due to differentiating instruction reasons I would have also put examples on the board beforehand and try to let students guess what the sentences referred to or try to guess what the main objective of the activity was. This way it would have been easier for me to differentiate certain students from others and help those students who needed the assistance individually.

To incorporate more culture into this activity I would have put more videos of people with music of origin, images with people playing sports and different types of ethnicity people having conversations. It wouldn’t have lost focus of the main purpose of the activity which was how to use adjectives properly and when do adjectives take position. The students would’ve had to still pair up and write down sentences of what was going on in the videos, images, etc. Then they would've had to speak to one another and give their response afterwards.

Permalink Reply by Janeth Puma on February 28, 2015 at 6:54pm

Joel I really like the idea to input videos in order to show the culture so that the student feels more connected to the language. I also like that you want to walk around the classroom to see if students understand and to help with any question the students may have individually.

Permalink Reply by James López-Navarro on March 1, 2015 at 12:51pm

Hi Joel, 

I feel that overall you guys did a really good job! you guys gave a lot of explanation with the lesson as well as included some activities. Which in my point of view was great, because not only do you get to know the students in a hidden way, but the students get to know each other more, which in a way helps the student take their knowledge of side a class room setting, because their confidence gets build up due to  them getting grouped with different people.  The conclusion that you came up with about differentiation was brilliant , what hit me the most as that you don’t want any of your students getting left behind, which is something great because it shows them that you care for them.  It is always a bright idea to show them videos of the real culture in which it takes place rather then them just hearing it because they can use context to  figure out things; for example if a student has a question sometimes the can answer their own answer which shows a great improvement in their academic achievements.

Permalink Reply by Eulalia Garcia on March 2, 2015 at 3:00pm

     Hello Joel, I found your presentation interesting because describing the objects adjectives in class is very important because is how we can relate an object to itself. Interaction between students gives the opportunity to everybody to learn. As a teacher going around the class is important because you need to make sure that every student is learning. You also want to give examples on the board for information about the different lesson. Visualization of course is one important factor because it is important to see objects in videos to student to have a major idea of the culture and it is content. Pairing students also can transmit communication between them in order to practice the language what they can see in the videos or lectures. So it is great how you had exposed your activity, I had learned that interacting is important in order to learn a language. 

Permalink Reply by James López-Navarro on February 28, 2015 at 2:16pm

The level of proficiency in this class was novice. I found this activity relatively strong because it is a simple tasks in which students are shown what grown students study (not limited to what is shown). This activity is great for group work in order for the students to communicate (output) after they have received and heard the pronunciation of the fields (input) but could also work if a student wants to work alone, s/he can pronounce the words in a low tone. This could possibly meet those students’ needs in which they may feel more comfortable.  The activity required to match the fields of study to the names of the characters’ but we didn’t stop there, we also wanted to expand the knowledge of the kids by telling them to explain to us what did the fields exactly do., what tools were needed and what do the tools work for. We also went a step further and asked the students what they would like to be when they grow up; this shows that teachers are also interested in their future aspiration, which gives you their attention but most of all some of their trust.

Something I would have loved to do was use audiovisual materials, for instance, show videos to demonstration how these people come about their studies and jobs; show them how they help the community even if it doesn’t seem like it. As well go around the classroom to see how well the students are pronouncing the words ask if they are ok or need help.

To introduce some culture in this class I would have asked students to name what is the most popular job in their country or parent’s country. Thus saying that by being educated one can become and have a better job than those people. Motivating them to keep studying and showing them that there are opportunities and in the 21st century things are changing.

Permalink Reply by Sarai Herreros on February 28, 2015 at 8:54pm

Hey James, I love the idea of showing audiovisual materials such as videos because it's a more realistic way to expand the minds of the students and get a broad view of what to expect out of pronunciation, communicating and so forth. Just to add on to the presentation, you did great! (Teamwork) it's important to have the class engaged and portray that you're confident with your material so that the students can feel comfortable when it comes to learning a new language. The beauty of having insight in your language is that you can naturally express yourself which catches the viewers attention (the student) to be more focused. I also like that you would've put excersises for the students on the board. This would allow their brain to start thinking right away and prepare their mindset for the upcoming class work which would most likely consist of something similar in more depth. (:

Permalink Reply by Joel Peña on March 1, 2015 at 5:07pm

Hello James, I really liked your activity. What I liked most about this activity was how you took it a step further and asked student what the fields consisted of and what the tools were actually used for in these fields. This does not only capture the attention of the students but it makes it fun. When fun is incorporated into school work, the attention span becomes longer than the usual. It is great to do this kind of activity in a group because everyone has a chance to try and match the letter to the corresponding answer.

Permalink Reply by Jose J. Diaz on March 1, 2015 at 9:56pm

I think you lesson was very engaging due to the fact the you made your students to make connection between the book pictures and real life. I believe that you showed your students that you knew they can go beyond expectations, as well as trust their instincts. I personal believe that using culture in this exercise might be a little difficult due to the fact that must of the people work in similar jobs around the word. In general i believe your lesson was very fun and interesting.

Permalink Reply by Sindy Caceres on March 2, 2015 at 12:56pm

 

Hey James, I really enjoy your group’s presentation. I like the way you would use differentiation instruction to accommodate every student’s needs. The way you would introduce culture into the lesson is very interesting as well. Especially since the classrooms are culture diverse and it would be nice for everyone to feel comfortable with everyone’s culture. The activity that your group provided for the students is a great way for students to start learning a little more about the different careers that there are in this world. 

Permalink Reply by Jose J. Diaz on February 28, 2015 at 4:38pm

I felt that our activity was in a way really well; due to the fact it was designed to get everyone involved as much as possible. I personally believe that our activity was fun, entertained, as well as instructive. The reason I said this is because we used pictures to connect them with the words they learned during the week. I feel that through this method students will be capable of linking a real world interaction with the content they learn from the book. This activity could be even better if we have used the blackboard to write down a few vocabulary words that maybe I would like the students to definitely know like synonyms for angry, sad, happy and bored. The reason I will put synonyms for those words is because people might use different words to express their moods in their countries; by this I will be adding some cultural knowledge to my student. Another way I could improve my activity will be presenting the student why a sad face and then ask them if I’m happy, this way I will be able to know if they are capable to understand and recognize my mistakes. A real good way to improve this activity could be by asking them to create and act their own conversation, this way the activity could be more challenging for the students. One way I could introduce culture to this activity is by presenting everyday activity that is normal in a Latin-American family (padrino, madrina, chiquillo, ect.), house (tortilla, pozole, elote, ect.) or community (taqueria, tortilleria, guagua, troca, ect). Those words might not be as accurate as they should, but those are that words that the Hispanic community that surround us use every day because I feel this way they will be able to understand better the way the neighbors, or his/her friend’s parents use that word.

Permalink Reply by Janeth Puma on February 28, 2015 at 6:55pm

Jose I think that your activity was good but with the changes that you want to make it will put the activity in a scale of excellent. I like to see that you are planning to incorporate more words like synonyms for those students who might use different words to express their moods in their countries. Other thing I really like is that you don’t only want the student to learn threw culture but you want the student to understand culture and be part of culture.

Permalink Reply by Joel Peña on March 1, 2015 at 4:54pm

Jose I definitely loved your activity with your partner. Not only did you incorporate the words your students learned during the week but as you said, you also used pictures to connect them with the words. I believe that is very important because it helps students understand better and helps students catch on quicker. Love also the idea of incorporating synonyms because like you also mentioned, in other countries and other cultures many use different words to express how they feel.

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