Your blogs are going on show !

Hi everyone,
I hope you are all well and having a great time with your students again...hopefully making use of these fabulous VLEs you all created last month !
Well, I wanted to let you know that I will be showing off your blogs and wikis at a congress in Tijuana this week. The U.A.B.C. have invited me to speak for 2 days at their event and I shall be using your hard work this summer to illustrate to them in BC, just how dynamic teaching through modern technology can be.
So, thank you again guys.

I have uploaded some files ...

Hello everyone,
I hope you are all recovering nicely from the massive 60 hours you recently dedicated to your own professional development.
This Monday morning, when the alarm didn't go off, although it felt good to have a lay-in, I realised that I miss you all and our time together !

I have handed in all the project, homework, blog/wiki and yahoo group grades to Rednova now, so it is all in their hands.
Remember that if you still have any problems with your MEC activities, you need to write to one of the three people below.
Omar Sanchez: Boss at RedNova: osanchez@grupomacmillan.com
Catalina : Omar's assisstant: chernandezmillan@grupomacmillan.com
Jane Wright: The project manager for the MEC: jwright@grupomacmillan.com
Jane is the best one to write to specifically with MEC problems and questions because she is in charge of the MEC. However, if it is a question about your grades then Omar will be the best.

I have uploaded some files to Victor's Successful English Lessons Yahoo group and ask that you all check in there once in a while as I will continue to share things with you there.

Hope you are all well, receive a HUGE hug from me
with much love
Sam

Full-to-the-brim !

Guys,
Oh my guys !
I am still a bit overwhelmed by all your amazingly creative blogs and wikis, by your fantastic presentations and by your deep showing of such 'cariño' and love.
I thank you all very very much, from the depths of my heart ... not only for your effort, patience and very hard work in the past three weeks, but also for the confidence you showed in me and in what I came to share with you in July.
I also want to express to you all through this blog that the gifts you showered me with last Friday, apart from being beautifully well thought-out gifts (all of them to my liking and all very special things) are also items which are already very dear to me. The dvds, the scarves, the chocolates and that delicious cake, the jewellery, the cards, the Pasion Morena hat and everything else...the picture frame, the little purse, the ceramic box, the jug and glasses, the cuddly cat.....everything...WOW....too much, really too much.
Thank you all.
I will be adding things to this blog in the next few days and hope that we can keep in touch through here, or through the blog you all created for me.
With much love, and all the very best of luck
your friend
Sam

WHAT TEACHERS MAKE ... !

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided the best option in life was to become a teacher?”

He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.”

To stress his point he said to another guest: “You’re a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest, what do you make?”

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness, replied: “You want to know what I make?” She paused for a second, then began…

“Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a 6.0 feel like the Congressional Medal of Honour. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can’t make them sit for 5 without an ipod, Game Cube or movie rental…

You want to know what I make?” She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.

“I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them criticize, I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to write and then I make them write. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in maths. I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe. I make my students stand to sing the Mexican National Anthem, because we live in Mexico. Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.”

Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.

“Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make?”

Reminders for our last day together !

Yes, we will have a break ...coffee or no coffee !!!
9am to 9.30am: Set up in the Computer Lab. G
Check blogs / wikis and prepare your site fully for the presentation.
Check you have everything you need and plan your timing carefully.
Final questions and doubts clear-up.
9.30am to 11.15am: The first 17 presentations (with 15 mins spare for 'whatever')
11.15am to 11.30am: BREAK
11.35am to 12.45pm: The other 10 presentations (with 10 mins spare for 'whatever')
12.45 to 1pm: Round Up, final questions lots of mutual applause and GROUP HUG !!!
1.01pm: Relax, celebrate, and give thanks for this wonderous experience that we have shared !

Some CLIL reminders from Monday 20th July

'CLIL refers to situations where subjects, or parts of subjects, are taught through a foreign language with dual-focused aims, namely the learning of content, and the simultaneous learning of a foreign language'.
CLIL encourages ...
•Cultural awareness
Internationalization
•Language competence
•Preparation for both study and working life
•Increased motivation
• Increased awareness and self-confidence
•Wider choice of materials available
• More meaningful classroom practice

A CLIL lesson is therefore not a language lesson neither is it a subject lesson transmitted in a foreign language. According to the 4Cs curriculum (Coyle 1999), a successful CLIL lesson should combine elements of the following:
•Content - Progression in knowledge, skills and understanding related to specific elements of a defined curriculum
•Communication - Using language to learn whilst learning to use language
•Cognition - Developing thinking skills which link concept formation, understanding and language.
•Culture - Exposure to alternative perspectives and shared understandings, which deepen awareness of others and self

Successful language learning can be achieved when people have the opportunity to receive instruction, and at the same time experience real-life situations in which they can acquire a language.

The CLIL approach involves learning subjects through a 2nd or other language and through the introduction of real-life-simulation. It can be very successful in enhancing the general learning of languages and of other subjects, and in developing in the youngsters a positive ‘can do’ attitude towards themselves as learners. (Marsh 2000)

1.The Culture Dimension
A. Build intercultural knowledge & understanding
B. Develop intercultural communication skills
C. Learn about specific neighboring countries/regions and/or minority groups
D. Introduce the wider cultural context

2. The Environment Dimension
A. Prepare for internationalization
B. Access International Certification
C. Enhance school profile

3. The Language Dimension
A. Improve overall target language competence
B. Develop oral communication skills
C. Deepen awareness of both mother tongue and target language
D. Introduce a target language

4. The Content Dimension
A. Provide opportunities to study content through different perspectives
B. Access subject-specific target language terminology
C. Prepare for future studies and/or working life

5. The Learning Dimension
A. Complement individual learning strategies
B. Diversify methods & forms of classroom practice
C. Increase learner motivation

Dolphins at play

There is no academic aim behind me putting this video clip onto our blog; I simply wanted to share it as being a truly beautiful thing to witness.

I think I was inspired by the questions Miguel Angel puts to us on his blog.

..........so, just enjoy it! (Mike's blog is at http://myenglishclassatuvm.blogspot.com/)

Evidence of talant, creativity and great learning / teaching.

MY WONDERFUL GROUP IN ACTION

The Great International Flash Mob Phenomena

Watch these two videos and see just how easy it is to use modern technological devices to get a whole load of people who don't know each other, and who will probably never meet each other again, to collaborate together to simply have fun.
Once you have watched, have a think about the questions and then do some YouTube searches for other Flash Mobs.

The Great Chicken Flash Mob.

Now this one, which plays on the 'freeze-frame' idea.

The Grand Central Station Freeze Flash Mob

Here are a couple of questions for you to ponder ...

1) How would you have felt if you had been there too ... either as an innocent passer-by who just happened to witness the event, or as someone who received the message in time and decided to go and participate in the happening.

2) How could these sort of organisational skills or the events themselves be adapted for your classroom use ?

Shakespeare's Sonnet 29

Matthew MacFadyen reciting Shakespeare's Sonnet 29.

MacFadyen is a RADA trained, British actor who has worked widely in film and on television and stage portraying classic and contemporary characters.

Watch him give this recital of Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 and see if it invites you to enjoy more classic literature through this modern, virtual medium.

SONNET 29
When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Virtual Learning Environment Week 2 Homework

... to be handed in on Monday 20th

Design a post that you might place in your VLE to aid your Ss' pre-exam revision process.

• Think about content, design layout, saturation, focus, how T. controlled and how Autonomous-S. focused ?
• What links will you include ?
• What S. uploads will you a) invite, b) encourage and
c) insist on ?
• Which formats will it be best for you to use ? (doc., MP3, ...)
• Will you set time constraints ?
• How can you make you aims clear to your Ss who are using the VLE ?

You can hand this is drawn by hand on paper, printed on paper or uploaded to your blog/wiki/group and printed out on paper.

Thank you.

web site addresses reminders !

https://www.blogger.com/start
...for a tutorial and help for setting up a new blog.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY
...an amuzing wiki tutorial.

http://www.wikispaces.com/
...to see what wikis can do for you.

http://personalweb.about.com/od/designapersonalwebsite/u/gettingstarted.htm
...lots of help and advice for things to consider when working with blogs/wikis and social pages.

http://www.feedforall.com/podcasting-tutorial.htm
...a very good tutorial for helping to set up a pod cast.

At an international meeting of educators, parents, business people and the local community in 2006, the following conditions were recognized as critical elements of future schools:

1: Schools of the future must be open and flexible.
2: New communication should promote new collaborations and a higher level of cooperation and creative problem-solving.
3: Teachers must be supported in their use of new technologies for learning and also in their use of technology for professional development and collaboration.
4: Learners must be able to use technology to achieve new levels of learning and to acquire new information age skills and abilities.
5: Educational managers need to use technology as a tool for managing schools and learner communities.
6: Must be supportive of all learning styles.
7: Teachers must be researchers and mentors
___________________________________
The rationale behind using a Wiki in class is ...

The idea of using Wikis is to create a collaborative teaching-learning environment, to develop not only language skills, but social skills as well, and to motivate students by using something they already are familiar with: the computer and the internet.

• The Ts new role nowadays is to become a reliable source of information and orientation in the Ss’ processes of research and learning.

• A T’s main skill becomes discernment.
__________________________________
The advantages of using authentic materials in class are ...

•Presenting the real world to the students and proving that learning happens there too !
•Providing the Ss with up-to-date, motivating informational resources
•Not shying away from the true challenge-level of the real world, but presenting the hard truth
•Real ... Raw ... Reliable
•Providing Ss with tools for use outside the classroom
•Providing Ss with social and media competence
•Giving more opportunities for extended language learning
•Keeping ourselves up-to-date
•Forming interesting, informed and thoughtful young adults

What does being literate actually mean today?

Technological Competence: the ability to use new media (for example, the Internet) in order to get information and communicate with others.

Information Competence: the ability to collect information by all possible means, to organize data, to judge whether information is relevant or trustworthy and to process it in order to acquire a reasonable opinion on a broad level.

Creative Competence: the ability to produce and offer information with the help of the media.

Social Competence: the ability to understand the social consequences of the new media and to develop the appropriate responsibility.

Homework to be handed in on Monday 13th

1) Fill in your two-sided handout of the Learner Profile questionnaires.
2) Correct your written work by understanding the correction code I used to mark it.
3) Draw up a lesson plan for a typical group of your students.

• It should be to do with the subject you teach but also now include a few of the ideas we have seen this week.
• You can write it by hand, type it or print it from a computer.
• Is should contain timings, aims, materials, activities, possible homework assignment or follow up research task and a clear understanding of the 'type' of students the class is planned for.

Please have these ready to hand in on Monday.

That Was The Week That Was !

WOW !
Well done everyone !
What a wonderful end to a very powerful week.
You all showed a great deal of understanding of the content of this week's study together as well as a very refreshing humanistic approach in your micro teaching today...Thank you.

Group 1: Victor, Diana, Rigo, Mauricio, Raul
This group's activity focussed us on auditory and visual learning intelligences and confirmed how we learn. They included excellent use of the physical classroom and the acting done through the two-way mirror window was superb, very dynamic and humourous.
In a real classroom situation, you could get 2 student volunteers to do this type of role playing for you. There was a very clear confirmation of the vocabulary needed for the subject; they used the 'elicitation' technique to get the vocabulary from us, automatically meaning that we were peer teaching.
The use of the white board was also fine and made me realise we need a new board pen !!!
Be careful of the false cognate 'picture' for movie.
Movie-USA Film-UK Picture is a static thing...it doesn't move
Each teacher in this team had an individual responsibility and was actively involved in the success of the group as were the 'students'.
Very well done !

Group 2: Ana, Raquel, Margarita, Rodolfo, Daphne
The element of surprise, urgency and engagement in the task of this group's activity had us all engaged very quickly. The instructions were not very clear at the beginning and this meant that the activity needed all the 'helper' teachers to go to the individual groups and explain and confirm the instructions again.
Try to give clearer instructions. We can look at this on Monday.
By sticking the vocabulary words on the 'students'' backs, every single member of each group was active and a vital part of the group success. The round up after the activity and the questions we were asked (How did you manage to guess so quickly ?) were perfect to have us confirm our learning and also for the teaching team to understand how we managed to not only learn the new words, but also to teach them as well.
CHILLY: does indeed have many meanings, but I was concerned about the definitions given today. Can you all check the 4 main definitions for 'Chilly' for Monday please and we will look at it then.
Another very positive thing was the way that Ana asked the 'student' who was whispering to her colleague at the back, the sum-up question...Ana showed here that she was aware of which 'student' was distracted...a good technique.
Very nicely done guys !

Group 3: Jorge Luis, Ireri, Vladimar, Jorge, Mariana, Caro
This group showed how some simple yet colourful and attractive materials (which Jorge had prepared the night before and has now shared with you and will use again himself) can be used to not only teach and review language but also show what we as students like, enjoy doing, are able to do and therefore good at.
Jorge gave very clear instructions and used a natural tone of voice and speed of speech.
The round up activity of questions to individual students about the cards they ended up with was also a very good way to create a group understanding of individuals.
We were all engaged in the activity very quickly because speed mattered. Obviously today there wasn't enough time for the teaching group to fully allow us to fill in our cards, but they gave us a very clear idea of how to achieve a good group rapport early on in the course.
Very well done guys !

Group 4: Lulu, Ivonne, Isaac, Daniel, Miguel, Yolanda
Lulu and Miguel made good use of the board for us and confirmed the language focus visually. Daniel gave a clear introduction which focussed us on the task at hand; measurement.
By simply observing what we were all doing and how we went about measuring the things they specified, the teaching team learnt a lot about how we learn. It was a very quick and concise way of finding out a lot of very important information about us and a very cleverly devised activity.
All you 'students' worked quickly together as teams and your individual contributions were vital to the success of the group. Many different vocabulary words were taught and learnt and even a few mistakes were cleared up.
Isaac had a good way of motivating us to get up and do the activity...his smiling face shows a feeling of confidence which he passed on to us.
Yolanda managed a great sum up at the end all the teaching team were involved in observing.
This meant that they achieved their objective of finding out more about our learner profiles while teaching subject through English.
A very nice job indeed guys !

I was able to see today that even though you began on Monday, a little scared, a little shy and a little nervous of speaking English with me too, you have managed to break through these barriers already and are doing very well indeed.
Thank you for all your effort this first week.

Some reminders from Thursday 9th July

Today we all experienced quite a dynamic activity...that of helping each other to be more aware of how effective our teaching techniques are and what effect they have on our students and on our general classroom environment.

Exploratory teaching is ...
... the gathering of research information about teaching
...the trying out of ideas, both tried and trusted formulas as well as innovative approaches
...observing the impact this way of teaching has on the audience/Ss
...understanding through investigation and observation why something works or doesn’t
...being the link between the research and the learner
...help our teaching colleagues to become more effective and innovative

How aware did you become today about ways in which your colleagues from other departments can help you and about how you can help them ?

Interdepartmental collaborative projects
• What opportunities are there for you to collaborate with colleagues ?
• How could you benefit others by sharing your knowledge ?
• What could you gain from another colleague ?

Uses everything that you reflect on now to help your team in the micro teaching tomorrow.

WORKING WITH VOCABULARY

Look at the following text and identify possible ‘problem’ words...that is, words that your students might not know and might have problems understanding.
Make a list of these 'problem' words and think how you would explain them WITHOUT using Spanish !

A New York man has been arrested for impersonating his dead mother in order to claim $115,000 (£70,500) in social security benefits and rent subsidies.
Thomas Prusik-Parkin, 49, is accused by prosecutors of regularly dressing up in a wig, dress and make-up in order to fool the authorities.
The alleged scam has been going on ever since Mr Prusik-Parkin's mother, Irene Prusik, died in 2003 at the age of 73.
He faces charges of theft, forgery and conspiracy.
"I held my mother when she was dying and breathed in her last breath, so I am my mother," Mr Prusik-Parkin said when he was arrested, according to police.

BBC 2009

A good start !

Thanks to everyone today for making it a positive start to our 60 hours together...I am working on the UVM giving us a propper coffee break every morning from now on; thanks for your patience on that one today.

Don't forget to do the little piece of homework for tomorrow as we will use your responses in class.

Homework:
complete these statements and hand in tomorrow

1. This course will be a success if…

2. Something I would not like to experience in this course is…

3. Something I would like the trainer to know about me is…

4. Something I am particularly worried about is...

5. By the end of this course, I expect to...

OK guys, well done for your concentration and experimentation today...see you all in F 407 tomorrow at 9am !

Did You Know ...

A video to be watched and thought about ... As you watch, think about the consequences that this information will have on your teaching situation.

CLIL websites and others ...

A few useful links:

http://www.onestopclil.com/
is an excellent site to start getting a bit more acquainted with the basic ideas of CLIL methodology.

http://www.mec-3.com/UVM
is a link to the MEC main page

http://mycliltrainees.blogspot.com/
is a very good blog for CLIL trainees

http://news.bbc.co.uk/
I would like you to keep in touch with the news in British English as well as find yourselves another English Language news site that you feel you can trust.
Make a note of the address and share it with us once you find the one you like.

Welcome to your CLIL - Blended Learning - MEC Summer Course

The idea of this blog is for you all to have access to some extra materials and ideas, as well as for you to share your own ideas and thoughts with the rest of us.

Comments and links to any interesting materials, videos, soundbites, podcasts etc' are very welcome too.

To begin with, I invite you to take a look at the following image and to familiarise yourselves with the concept of 'Thinking in English'.

_______________________________________________________

This is an exercise in 'Thinking In English'.

Try to keep your thoughts in English; do not revert to Spanish if at all possible.

Look at this cartoon and consider its message from at least 2 different angles:

1) The link with I.T and the Generation 'Y''s use of it

2) The social information inferred by the way in which language is being used; the words chosen to convey the message.

Be prepared to discuss these issues, in English, with your colleagues.

Prepare what you want to say by thinking it through in English.
Research any vocabulary you might need to express yourself accurately and convey your message clearly.
Decide what your opinion is on the two issues mentioned above and be prepared to defend your point of view if you meet with opposition from your colleagues.

Enjoy this first experience of homework set through a homemade VLE (Virtual Learning Environment)

Feel free to add your comments to this post and make suggestions for things you'd like to see on our blog...........until you create your own, that is !

best regards
Sam