Seventh blog entry

How can the standard-features word-processing programs be exploited for teaching writing skills?

All the standard-features word-processing help us to teach writing skills. Most of us are familiarize with word processing packages such as Microsoft Word and this because well have been using Microsoft office since we were in junior high school. Also help us when we have a document the required to be type on a computer but office not only helps us to present our teaching job but also help our students to elaborate their homework. Nowadays this kind of technology has become very important in our daily life because is not longer often to present a hand-written homework to our teachers.

Standard Features word processing are:

All word processing applications allow us to:

·         Enter and edit text

·         Save

·         Print

·         Cut/copy/paste

·         Check your spelling

This standard features word processing help us as well as our students, because it allows us to type our information and in the same way we are practicing our writing skill, while we are typing a lot of words, we also are remembering how to write those words and to express our thoughts when we are accomplishing specific task. Also it helps us to look for information; when we do not know exactly what should we write or when we do not know a certain word but the standard features word processing also check our spelling, because sometimes we are not so sure what is the correct way to write a word and this feature indicates us if we have committed a written spelling.

Base on that previous information, I can say that these features help us a lot because we can improve our writing skills as well as our students will improve their writing skills too.

Sixth blog entry

Do you think technologies should play a central or a peripheral role in second language teaching and learning?  Why?

I think the technology should play a central role in learning a second language and also in teaching the language. Technologies help us a lot, special when it comes about learning a second language because it provide authentic source of the language also technologies help us to keep in touch with the second language especially when we do not live abroad and we do not have enough contact with the language.

Technology can help students be better learners. It gives us the tools and those tools are valuable in communication as well as providing information. Technologies is constantly involving us for all the things the it gives to us because technology not only gives us the opportunity to relax watching a movie, listening to music or just searching the net just to have fun but wiht technology we can improve our skills especially our listening and reading and these is possible through watching a movie or listening to our favorite music it also give us the opportunity to chat with native English speakers.

Having technology makes research much easier. Before the invention of computers and the internet, students had to go the library to get their resource material. It is said that technology helps students to learn in many ways. With the help of technology the learning can be made more interactive to students because students will be able to understand the topics by simulation of real world problems also they can see more clearly how things happen and works.

I can say from my own experience that technology really helps people to learn; I used to learn English trough internet and found it very useful, I can add that, it is one of the best way to find a lot of exercises and materials, especially when you leave abroad.

Definitely technology helps us to learn a second language as well as to teach a second language because it gives us the tools that we need to learn and improve our skills; it also facilitates us the access of information and to communicate we native English speakers.  And base on that we have to take technology into account when we are teaching a foreign language because using it we will help our students to learn in a better way.

Reflection on my Teaching

Reflecting on my Teaching

Was the instructional objectives met? How do you know students learned what intended?

Yes, It was met because my objective for the present simple class was “at the end of the class students will be able to use the simple present correctly” and they learned how to use the simple present during the class and I know that because they did a homework and base on that homework I realized that they learned also when I did the review they demonstrated that they had learned the simple present.

Were the students productively engaged? How do you know?

My students were productively engaged because they performed all the activities well, when I thought them simple present. I had prepared for them interesting and effective activities in order for them to learn the simple present in an easy form and they did; also I tried to look for the most suitable activities for them.

Did you alter your instructional plan as you taught the lesson? Why?

No, I did not alter my instructional plans because I consider myself as a very organized person and maybe a little bit too much. I like to have everything prepared and also I like to have some extra activities just in case of one activity would not work  well in the class, but I did not need any of the extra activities, that I had prepared because I chose the most suitable activities for my students and those activity worked well in the class so that is why I did not alter my instructional plan for the simple present class.

What additional assistance, support or sources would have further enhanced this lesson?

To present the simple present I did it through poster. The poster helped me to teach them because every time I thought them a class and I used a poster or any other support to give the class; I realized that students paid more attention when I used posters, audios or flashcards and that is why every class I tried to have additional assistance.

If you had the opportunity to teach the lesson again to the same group of students, would you do anything differently? What? Why?

Well I think that I did a good job when I tough the class of simple present but also I know that I have to improve more to be better when I am teaching. I think if I had the opportunity to teach the lesson again I would not make a lot of change because I think I succeed teaching the  simple present, but I would change when I was asking for participation, because not all of them did participate in the class but the majority did, but if I had the opportunity I would like to make all of them participate, I would look for some activities that would help me to make them participate, but that is the only thing that I would change about the simple present class.

Fifth blog entry

The role of research in improving our understanding of teaching

I think that this research help us as teacher to understand in a better way. Teachers are always learning, finding out things, analyzing information, adapting their behavior according to information received, looking to improve and adapting to modern demands. All of this constitutes research.

Research is understood as all the things that teachers do. Working with students to facilitate learning, teachers develop lesson plans, evaluate student work, and share outcomes with students, parents, and administrators. Designing and implementing a plan of action, observe and analyze outcomes, and modify plans to better meet the needs of students is call research.

Teachers project their own personality upon learning experiences when they are teaching and this sometimes can be a success or a fail but to be a success or a fail depends on students responds to their teacher’s personalities and experiences.    

                                              

Research methodologies give teachers the tools to analyze and make informed decisions about their practice also research helps teachers to share information or even techniques with colleague because research gives teachers the opportunity to develop new and different relationships with both colleagues and students. Too often research looks backwards and there are lessons to learn. Based on that I can say the research plays a big role in teacher’s improvement and understanding of teaching.

Teacher research empowers teachers to thoughtfully examine and analyze their teaching in order to improve it because if they really understand what teaching really means they are going to do their job in an effective way because teaching goes beyond of transferring knowledge to their students.

 The strength of teacher research is the development of a better understanding of classroom practice also this understanding help teachers to improve their way of teaching in order to be more effective in their job.

It is very important for teachers to use research in order to achieve success in their job but also they are going to help their students to learn and they are going to feel satisfied with their job.

Fourth blog entry

My experiences in learning a foreign language.

Learning a foreign language, it could be difficult for all the things that leaning a new language implies; at the very beginning it seems that is very difficult and sometimes you feel like you never are going to be able to communicate in the new language but never giving up is the key to succeed.

When I just started learning English as a foreign language, I was so excited because it is an interesting language to learn. I remember that when I started learning English I didn't know anything about the language because when I was in high school I didn't learn anything.  I decided to learn English because I was really interested in the language so I decided to study English.  I started learning English by myself trough the internet and watching videos like Ingles sin barreras and I can say that I learned a lot from those videos  at least I learned the basic things of English but at that time I felt that I needed to study English in a formal way because I needed to practice my English with other people also I needed someone to correct my mistakes so I decided to study English as a major because it was the best decision that I could ever make because I am learning English and at the same time I am studying to become a professional.

In addition I can say that I have learned a lot from my teacher, because I am in contact with the language and in some way I can play with the language with my classmates and the best of all I am corrected when I make mistakes.

 I characterize the teacher’s teaching method.

Teacher’s teaching method is effective only when it gives good result on students; if the method that the teacher applies in his classroom is effective I mean if students learn with that method that’s mean that they have made a good decision in selecting that method.

I think one of the most effective methods I have been thought is trough the “PPP” Presentation, Practice and Production “Presentation” involves presenting the target language to the students generally through testing the students to see if they know it and then providing the language. “Practice” is where the students practice the target language. “Production” is the stage of the lesson where the students take the target language and use it in conversations to talk about themselves or their daily lives or situations.

I find this method effective in students who already know at least a little bit of English because through the PPP students have the opportunity to learn new vocabulary, to practice that vocabulary and after that students can produce the vocabulary in daily conversations. But when it comes with students that don’t know English at all I think the grammar translation method could work out well because this would be their firsts contact with the language also teacher can explain something really well if students don’t have get the meaning of a word so that’s why a find this method effective with beginners.

But any method that the teacher decide to use it could work; if they apply  well the method the they have chosen but this also depends on the needs of the students and also in students capabilities.