Presentations based on on-line and off-line presentation programmes (27/10)

 SWF files

• Swf: “Shockwave Flash”: later: “Small Web Format”SWF files can be created with software such as Adobe Flash and other free applications, for example, MTASC o SWFTools.
• They are run thought a “plugin” called Adobe Flash Player.
• Basically, it is a format with a lot of animation possibilities and interactions.
• They are normally small files and, consequently, they can be easily adapted for the WWW (animations, interactive activities…)
• They provide multiple functions and grades of interactivity.

PowerPoint

• Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation software.
• Slides presentations, text and image animations, either imported or predesigned. 
• Diference types of designs, fonts, templates, animation, etc. can be applied.

(26/10)

Key competences

The nomenclature and definition of key competencesin the LOMCE is based on a European Commision document on 21^st century competences.

The LOMCE defines seven competences:

1. Linguistic competence.
2. Mathematical competence and basic competence in science and technology.
3. Digital competence.
4. Learning to learn.
5. Social and civic competence.
6. Initiative and entrepreneurship.
7. Cultural awareness and expression. 

Competences:

The Key Competences focus on:

-          Preparing children for the future.

-          Developing skills and attitudes that will help them to enjoy a good quality of life.

-          To successfully interact with others in the contexts they are likely to encounter in their dialy lives.

Subjects:

Within the LOMCE subjects are classified in three ways:

1. Obligatory core subjects:

• These are the same for pupils throughout the country.
• They should take up at least 50% of the school timetable:

               - Natural Sciences

               - Social Sciences

               - Spanish Language and Literature

               - Mathematics

               - Fisrt Foreign Language

2. Obligatory specific subjects: 

•  Physical Education:

×          A choice between Religion and Social and Civil values.

-          At least one of the following:

×          Artistic Education

×          Second Foreign Language

×          Religion

×          Social and Civic values

3. Elective subjects dependent on the Autonomous Community of School.

• These subjects are designed by the each of the Autonomous Communities. 
• According to the stage, the offer of this type of subjects is more or less wide-ranging. 
• The only obligatory subject offered and programmed each year at all stages is the Co-official Language in Communities where this applies.

Assessments

-          3^rd Primary:

×          This is a diagnostic evaluation to detect difficulties and implement improvement measures.

×          Each Autonomous Community carries these our and there are no academic repercussions.

-          6^th Primary:

×          This is an external exam, the same for all students across the country. The Government will develop and design the evaluation criteria and characteristics for these tests.

×          Competences are measured: what the student knows and what the student knows how to do.

×          The results will be informative and orientative for Secondary.

ICT

-          The LOMCE emphasises the importance of digital literacy and the appropriate use of technology to assist learning.

-          To build children’s confidence with technology.

-          To allow teachers to create a tailored digital solution to suit their pupils’ needs and their teaching context.

Foreign Language

-          Command of a second language, or even a third foreign language is a priority in Education as a consequence of the process of globalization. Nevertheless, there are still shortcomings in our educational system.

-          The promotion of plurillingualism is an objective that cannot be given up in the construction of and European Project.

-          The law definitely supports plurillingualism, so that students can express themselves fluently at least in one foreign language.

Curriculum of Primary Education

-          The LOMCE defines the curriculum as: the regulation of the elements that manage the teaching and learning processes for each of educational stages.

-          The new curriculum will be integrated by:

×          The objectives of foreign language area: they are the reference models related to the outcomes the students must achieve at the end of educational process. 

TOPIC 2 (25/10)

• The Organic Law for the Improvement of Quality of Education (LOMCE).
• The Curriculum of Primary Education.

LOMCE-LOE

• The basic document is the Organic Law of Education (LOE).
• New aspects have been introduced and some others have been removed. 

Objectives: LOMCE

• To reduce variations in requirements and demands within education systems throughout the country.
• To lower the drop-out rates in compulsory educational levels (pupils under the age of 16).
• To improve levels of achievement in Compulsory Secondary Education. 
• To improve students’ level of knowledge in the basic subjects.
• To establish a clear system of progress indicators according to educational objectives. 
• To increase the autonomy of schools. 
• To generalise and spread the use of ICT within education. 
• To improve foreign languages learning. 
• To promote and update vocational training studies.

(24/10)

How to insert sound in a blog:

We can have our audio in a cloud, like Google Drive and then copy the link. Once you have that link copied, paste it in HTML in Blogger.

How to insert a link in an image:

Video Player and More:

VLC Media Player

• Has become a standard for the reproduction of multimedia files.
• It is free.
• It reproduces MPEG-2, H.264, etc. 

Removing a blog:

eTwinning

eTwinning is part of Erasmus+ program for education, training, youth and sports. Its goal is to promote and facilitate contact, exchange of ideas and collaborative work between teachers and students of the countries participating in eTwinning through ICTs.

Click on the image to go to eTwinning main page.

An eTwinning project is a collaboration between two or more schools in different European countries on a topic previously agreed. The collaboration is carried out through a virtual platform and useing different web tools.

The founders of the project agree on the subject, length, the students that will participate in the project, number of partners, product or products they wish to obtain, the working language, the web tools to be used, etc.

eTwinning projects involve an improvement for teachers and for students in the digital competence and communicative competence in foreign languages. Furthermore, eTwinning projects bring other benefits inherent therein as the development of more general skills related to collaborative work, negotiation, intercultural awareness, etc.

When a teacher is registered in the platform, he has to fill out a form with his data and explains what ideas he wants to work on the project. Once registration is verified, you will be able to access your personal desktop through which can interact with other members, exchange ideas, create groups and eventually work on a project.

Here you can check some projects:

• eTwinning projects in Spanish
• Your English Fairy

(18/10)

Functional approach:

• It is based on the functions of the language.
• Process of “thinking in English”.
• If you want to ask for the age of a person….then… How old…?
• Functions instead of grammar exercises.
• Listening, speaking, reading and writing, according to needs of the students.
• Grammar aspects may be studied when students benefit from them.
• This process comes at the end, not at the beginning.
• Do students of Primary Education need a knowledge of grammar for a communicative use of English? No, they don´t. These are not objectives.
• In that video, several abilities were involved such as listening, writing, speaking and reading. 

Task-based approach:

• Difference between task and activity.
• It can be defined as “how a learner applies his or her communicative competence to undertake a selection of tasks”.
• It is directly connected with motivation.
• What is a task? A task is an activity “where the target language is used by the learner for a communicative purpose (goal) in order to achieve an outcome” (Jane Willis).
• The teacher does not pre-determine what language will be studied in a definite lesson because the lesson is based around the completion of a central task and the language studied is determined by what happens as the students complete it.
• The TBL Framework.

CLIL:

• Content and Language Integrated Learning.
• Teaching different subjects such as science, history,… to students through a foreign language.
• This can be by the English teacher using cross-curricular content or the subject teacher using English as the language of instruction.
• Both methods result in the simultaneous learning of content and English.

The CEFR:

• Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment.
• The CEFR provides a common basis for:

×          The elaboration of language syllabuses.

×          Curriculum guidelines.

×          Examinations

×          Textbooks, etc.

• Accross Europe.
• It describes:

×          What language learners have to learn to do in order a language for communication.

×          What knowledge and skills they have develop to be able to act effectively.

• The description also covers the cultural context in which language is set.
• The Framework also defines levels of proficiency, which allow learners’ progress to me measured at each stage of learning and on a life-long basis. 
• Check or download it here.

Aims and objectives:

To promote the national and international collaboration of governmental and non-governmental institutions engaged in the development of teaching and evaluation in the field of modern languages for the production and use of materials, including multi-medial. 

Photos extracted from:

• http://www.slideshare.net/gingerfresa/tbl-presentation-22843738 

• http://dublin.eazycity.com/useful-information/english-levels-from-a1-to-c2

(20/10)

Recording, editing and exporting audio:

• Free software.
• Audacity. It is necessary to include another program to be able to export the file. into MP3 that is Lame.

Click here to download Audacity

Reproducing sound files:

• iTunes: reproducing sound and video.
• iTunes in the cloud (icloud) allows reproducing sound files.

Click here to download iTunes

Converting videos into MP3:

• From QuickTime

CDs and MP3:

• We can convert from CD to MP3 and from MP3 to CD.

Inserting sound in blog:

• It is inserted using Dropbox or Google Drive, any kind of services for sharing.
• Copy the link in the blog. 

Communicative Language Teaching (11/10)

• CLT  (Communicative Language Teaching) represents a reaction to previous methodological principles.
• The support what was called “the development of communicative proficiency in the target language”, rather than knowledge of its structures.
• Three main principle can be inferred from CLT practices:

1. The communicative principle: learning is promoted by activities involving real communication.
2. The task principle: learning is enhanced through the use of activities in which language is employed for carrying out meaningful tasks.
3. The meaningfulness principle: the learning process is supported by language which is meaningful to the student. Activities should consequently be selected according to how well they involve the learner in authentic and meaningful language use. 

Peter McKenzie-Brown. “What is CLT?” Language Matters < ttp://languageinstinct.blogspot.com.es/2006/09/what-is-clt-language-competencies.html> Online. 12th October de 2016.

(10/10)

Images, sounds…: copyright?

We have to follow the copyright rules. Using images, sounds and videos in the classroom.

• FlickrCC:

- Images under Creative Commons license. 

- Flickercc.com

- You can edit the images and download them.

• Google images:

 

- Includes different types of images copyright.

- We have to use google advance image search.

• More free photos:

- Fotogratis.com

- Morguefile

- Compfight: search Flickr images under CC license.

- Wikimedia Commons

• Sounds and free music:

- Freesound.org

- Vimeo

- SoundCloud

- Jamendo: it was free, but it is not anymore. 

• Videos:

- Animoto

- Masher

- Downloading videos from YouTube. Direct download from the YouTube web. Use Firefox ad-ons.

   

A school from Soria educates better than in Finland

State-subsidised school "Nuestra Señora del Pilar" gets best scores than the Nordic country in reading and math in tests based on PISA.

Where is the secret? These are the points:

• A change towards a more active approach in which students have more leadership.
• The use of mechanisms such as problem-based learning or interdisciplinary projects consisting of different subjects.
• The education approach to reality and promote skills such as creativity and entrepreneurship with self-learning.

When we have teachers who love their profession, we have the basis for this unusual development. The ability to undertake and innovate in education opens doors.

We do not need to travel to Finland to find good teachers. ;)

Check the original report from a Spanish newspaper in this link: http://ww.abc.es/iW0A304FQnG

(6/10)

Computer assisted language learning.

C.A.L.L: computer assisted language learning by Sarah Ferguson. It was defined by Levy as “the search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching learning.

• CALL embraces a wide range of applications and approaches to teaching and learning foreign languages.
• From the audio-lingual method (drill-based exercises) to most recent distance learning.

- Originally located within behaviourism and “tutorial CALL” (Levy. 1997. Taylor. 1980)

- Key defining characteristics of traditional CALL include:

- Use of a computer desktop.

- Use of software programme

- An explicit teaching and conscious learning capacity.

- Realised in self-access centres or controlled classroom context.  

Most recent approaches

• It also extend to the use of interactive whiteboards, computer-mediated communication (CMC), language learning in virtual worlds, and mobile-assisted language learning (MALL).
• "On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog.". It is very important knowing about security in internet. We must know what is a fake and what is true. We need to check the news and the contents that we share. 

IWB:

The flipped classes:

The future?

Display centric world

(5/10)

Leaning by heart

• Written exercises.
• Probably students do not know what they are writing about and why.

Mechanical exercise:

• Use of memory.
• Should be dealt with first orally.

The silent way

1st stage: presentation:

2nd  input: given time to student

3rd role

4th: repeating after the teacher.

• Developed by Gattegno in the early 60’s.
• Use of silence on the part of the teacher.
• “Teaching should  be subordinated to learning”.
• Students should be able to use the language for self-expression.
• Students become independent by relying on themselves.

Total physical response:

• Also named Comprehension Approach.
• Listening comprehension first.
• Use of commands to direct behaviour.
• Commands are given to get students to perform an action.
• The action makes the meaning of the command clear.
• Stress free environment.

Natural approach:

• Observing how children acquire their mother tongue. Follow the same steps.
• The child chooses to speak when it is ready.
• The teacher helps his/her students to understand him/her by using pictures and occasional words in the students’ native language.
• Students are permitted to use their native language along with the target language.

Communicative approaches:

• Everyone has a natural desire not only to understand himself but also to communicate with others. The closer people live together, the more this desire becomes a necessity.
• The first step in any learning process must be the identification of interests, needs and motivation.
• Language as a medium of communication.
• Communication embraces functions and notions.
• Communicative and meaningful activities.
• Learner centered approach or motivation centred approach. It means that the students are the main character of the teaching process.
• Listening: 20-30 minutes in the first course.
• Concept of need:

×          Ways in which the learner will be called upon to use the language in situations he may meet.

×          Personal and social development of the student, including the development of study skills and self-reliance.

×          Meaning is paramount. 

(3/10)

Audio player- the sound

What would you do if you had to give a lesson or a particular topic? Do not answer the question immediately

The first thing is focusing on the question, not in the answer. Firstly, we should choose the topic (for example a song).

If we are asked to prepare a topic, firstly we need to start by the end, in this case, by the song.

• First: Planning. What is the song about? Look for key words included in that song. Prepare what I will say about the song. I design the way I present it, for example with a guideline with the main ideas and sections.  The most important aspect of the presentation is my speech. After, we correct it. Finally, the final product will be presented and we will have to make it public.

We will see different ways to present audio materials. It is more useful and efficient when everything is planned. It is not a good idea rely on imagination, we have to plan everything in advance, then we put in practise what we plan and after, we will correct it.

• Most textbooks were supplemented with audiotapes to carry out listening activities.
• Nowadays CDs and DVDs are replacing them.
• Pupils can practice the listening activities at home.
• There is a lot of material especially published for children.

A pupil needs a lot of exposure and practice for produce a right sound in a foreign language. Therefore, we need to increase the number of hours that our students are exposed.

VCR and camera:

• VTR and cameras have not been used in our classrooms frequently.
• We all know the power of attraction of TV series.
• In general, we could say that: movement and sound are motivating.
• If students and teachers create their own materials, adapted to their needs and interests, these devices can be highly motivating.
• They can play roles, investigate, discuss about the final product.

TV sets and computers:

• The connection between a TV set and a computer, is nowadays, simpler than ever before.
• Most TV sets have an S-VHS, VGA or HDMI connection.

(4/10)

Audio-oral (lingual) method:

From the 40's:

• Foreign Language Learning is a process of mechanical habit formation. Soldiers in the Second World War needed to be understood between them. This kind of learning is based in repetition. 
• Listening and reading after the teacher: repeat after me. 
• Use of Drills: mechanical oral and exercises. 
• Teacher-centred.
• Grouping of students: group, pairs... Thanks to technological advances in the Second World War, they had a progression. 
• Language laboratory. New technology caught publishers and text-book writers unprepared. 
• Prevent errors as they can be remembered. You should give the students activities for them to acquire the "correct pronunciation".

"Do not think! Just repeat, repeat, repeat!"

Summing up:

• They may be really good activities for reforcement, warming up or ice breaker.

ICT at school (29/09)

ICT devices

Alphabet taught to kids nowadays with technological new brands and applications. There’s a lot of new words that are appearing nowadays.

Learning based on projects.

It’s important to create groups in order to create responsibility and create an identity, like a name group, a pet.

Projects cannot be worked only in English class, they should be worked in other classes.

Talking about making groups in class, they should be mixed.

ICT definition:

• Producing just a focus of attention.
• Everything monitored by a keyboard or similar device.

Audio-visuals:

They show how minister of education is old-fashioned. The problem is that all this technologies hasn’t been productive. They are expensive and may not been used.

• Overhead projector.
• Audio player.
• Tv set
• Video player and cameras
• Cd/cassette recorder
• Easily portable
• Adaptability.
• Low sound quality.
• Blackboard: it should have a design and organized. We are changing into whiteboards. For example, we can add parts like "just to remind you", "out of class activities", photos, "writing zone", "your interests". 

OHP and blackboard:

• Analyse the traditional blackboard and the OHP.
• Advantages of the OHP.

Audio player- the sound:

• Most textbooks were supplemented with audiotapes to carry out listening activities.
• Nowadays CDs and DVDs ate replacing them.
• Pupils can practice the listening activities at home.
• There is a lot of material especially published for children.

Technology, information and communication for Primary Education (26/09)

In this subject, we will have two different parts: a theoretical and a practice part. We will learn how to organise an English class and how to use ICT in our daily lessons.

Here you can check the syllabus of this course: http://grados.ugr.es/primaria_ceuta/pages/infoacademica/guias-docentes/TICLE

Some years ago, people refer to information technologies: hardware and software that allowed accessing, saving, organizing, manipulating… information with electronic media.

Nowadays, we are always  transmitting information using different devices: telephone lines, mobiles, satellite… 

Languages learning theories (Part 2) (28/09)

Method approach, design and procedure: an umbrella term. It is a theory developed by Edward Anthony, Jack Richards and Theodore Rodgers.

• Approach (provides theoretical foundations for what a teacher does in his classroom). It is a group of hypothesis  that dealt with the type of language learning and language teaching. The examples of teaching approaches are GTM (Grammar Translation Method), Direct Method, Reading Method, ALM (Audio-lingual Method), Cognitive Code Learning, Communicative Approach, etc.
• Design (relationship of theories of language and learning to both the form and function of instructional materials and activities in instructional settings). According to this theory, design is the relationship between expert theories to classroom materials and activities while procedure as technique and the practical executions in the classroom that was developed eventually from approach and design
• Procedure (classroom techniques and practices). It is the technique and the practical executions in the classroom that was developed eventually from approach and design. 

Inductive vs deductive: they are two very distinct and opposing instructional approaches, but not in a psychological term.

• Inductive: knowledge of grammatical rules should be acquired through exposure to samples of speech that present a particular construction. The first practical application is:

Students are to elicit the rule from the given input and subconsciously learn it by recognizing the reoccurring patterns.

• Deductive: the introduction of a new structure should be started with an explicit presentation of the rule that governs the structure. The presentation is followed by examples which show how the rule is used.

 In addition, if a child’s pronunciation is not correct but the communication is not broken, don’t correct him.

There’s a lot of different methods: direct method, communicative approach, grammar translation, audio-lingual method, total physical response, silent way, community language learning, computer-assisted language learning… the best method depends on children’s needs. The curriculum suggest using an active, collaborative, participative methodology.

Grammar-translation (…- XX):

Derived from the method used to teach Latin and Greek. There is not use of the second language in the class, except for translation. 

• Vocabulary is learnt by memorizing long lists, learnt by heart, without a context.
• Reading and writing are the centre of the class: no place for listening and speaking. There was no place for listening or speaking in traditional classes.
• Grammar and syntax are extremely important for language learning. Grammar is taught deductively.

Main objectives:

• Reading and writing.
• Grammar structures and translation.
• Study of morphology and syntax.
• Memorization of grammar rules and long list of vocabulary items.
• Techer centered.
• Textbooks are fundamental. Do not try the introduction of any concept without being learnt in Spanish.

Direct method:

• Classroom interaction was conducted exclusively in the target language.
• New teaching points were introduced orally.
• Only everyday vocabulary and sentences were taught.
• Grammar was taught inductively.
• Concrete vocabulary was taught through demonstrations, objects and pictures…
• Both speech and listening comprehension were taught.
• Correct pronunciation and grammar were emphasized.

Summary of a lesson:

• Presentation of the topic in the target language.
• Students repeat (chorus, whole class, groups, rows, …). Some students can not repeat and not participate.
• The teacher explains a topic normally from real life situations. She uses objects, mime, … as the language used is the target language.
• Use of songs and games in the classroom.

Summing up:

• Objectives: conversation, discussion. Mainly oral production and listening promoted from the beginning.
• Use of posters, visual aids, songs and games.
• Use of the mother tongue is forbidden. But when the students could get a benefit from it, use the mother tongue.
• No translation. If the student ask to you, respond him with and question: “What do you think it means?”. Never translate directely.
• No grammar-rules. Inductive.
• Lot of imagination and inspiration. Tiring for the teacher and a problem for shy students. 

Luk Manblack. “Approach, Method, and Technique” Likmanblack’s Blog <https://lukmanblack.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/71/> Online. 1 de octubre de 2016.