29/10/15

Today has been the last day of class and we've listened a presentation about Halloween. This presentation had a lot of activities: one of them has been doing a mask of a skeleton, a witch, a vampire... and other activity that we have done in the gym. The masks were like this:

In today's class I was very excited because the next day we finished our quarter at University and we started the training period in School. Because of that I can't think about the presentation but in spite of that fact I liked it and I enjoyed.

What I have learnt today and during this time has been that this is what I would like to do for the rest of my life: teaching children and now I'm very nervous to begin the training period.

"Every end is a new beginning..."

28/10/2015

Today we've listened two very good presentations. The first presentation has been about the writing skill. The them that this group has chosen has been Halloween. They have made a pumpkin as a pet class. We have done many activities like: reading a book, doing a relay race, singing, dancing... 

The pumpkin

The other presentation has been about resources, they have shown us a lot of materiales to use in class and this presentation has been great. In each corner there is a girl who presented us an activity, each more fun and original.

Today's presentations have been very interesting and we've enjoyed a lot. I like interacting with all my classmates and enjoying together during the lessons.

What I've learnt today is more about the "corners" that we can use in preprimary and primary education. They are very useful to teach because children can learn a lot of things and they aren't bored and in primary education is less used than in preprimary education.

Learning Corners

27/10/2015

Today my group and I have done our presentation about the Topic Based Work. In our presentation we have explained the theory but we've focused on the activities. We've prepared flashcards and a Parcheesi with too many activities like: mime, play a song, flaschards...and too many similar things. Besides we've listened other presentation.

We've focused our presentation on teaching the verb can/can't and the habilities (play the guitar, ride a horse, dance, ride a bike...). We've found this song and we've decided to do an activity about this because we think that it's very appropriate:

These are some pictures about the Parcheesi game:

I've enjoyed a lot in this class because I think that my presentation could be very entertaining for kids and young learners as well as me and my classmates. From my point of view this lessons are the best for us because we've learnt a lot and we've known new ideas.

What I've learnt today is that all that you learn playing is better because you remember all the games about each topic or theme better than all that you based on theory.

21/10/2015

We go on tour!

Today I have gone to Cuenca with the professor of plastic. We have visited The Contemporary Art Museum, the Antonio Pérez Foundation and The Enchanted City (which is near Cuenca).

I've enjoyed this excursion and I've learnt a lot about art in spite of the fact that I had visited the Enchanted City before.

This is a picture I took while we visited the Antonio Pérez Foundation:

20/10/2015

Today have begun the presentations ✓

We've listened two presentations. The first one has been about the young language learners. The second presentation has been about how a pre-primary student learn a language.  Our classmates have elaborated a presentation with a lot of examples and things related to this theme. Both themes are about how learn a language, something that nowadays is very important.

This is a video about the advantages of teaching English to very young learners, how to do this and some activities to practice:

This class has been very entertaining because each group has told us to do many activities and I have enjoyed with them. The second group has done many motivated activites that I like so much and the children will enjoy too much.

What I've learnt today is that it's very important that we teach in a funny way because students can learn easily. For me as a student it's better to listen songs and to watch videos than to listen a dialogue of a person and I think that it's the same for children.

19/10/2015

Today we've talked about what is necessary for a teacher of the XXI century and if we could do it as teachers. One important thing, for example, is to manage new technologies. A teacher of the XXI century must be able to use audiovisual contents, blogs and wikis... to improve the learning of her/his students. Then the teacher has discovered us a web page to share our works or documents called webmix. Later we've created a Form in Google and we've sent it to the teacher. Finally we've talked about how we can create books, comics, videos about storytelling... on Internet. I've done a comic, a book and an activity to find the pairs.

I love this class because I have learnt new resources that I think are very useful and entertaining. I feel very enthusiastic while the teacher tell us what she do in class with her children because all is very creative.

What I've learnt today is that Google Earth is a very helpful resource for teaching children because they enjoy a lot while they are learning. We can visit London, Sweeden, Spain... while we stay in class. Besides I've learnt new web pages on Internet that I am looking forward to use.

We can see images like this on Google Earth:

15/10/2015

In this class we've listened more examples of songs for children from pre-primary to primary education and some links of web pages where we can find too many examples to practice with songs (For example Lyrics training). Afterthat we've talked about chants (like songs) that consists on put rhythm on a sentence. Besides we've created a chant in groups. This is my chant:

Something is green,

what is green?

Peas are green

Something is orange

what is orange?

Parrot is orange

Something is red

what is red?

Apples are red

Something is yellow

what is yellow?

Lemon is yellow

Something is brown

what is brown?

Potatoes are brown

Finally we've seen a video about the digital competence related to education. It's very important that teachers and students know how to use new techonologies in class and outside of class because they improve all their skills.

This class has been productive and funny for me because I've discovered a website to learn English with songs.

What I've learnt today is that it's more interesting to teach something with a song, a chant or something like that because children can lose their attention if the lessons are very boring or if they doesn't understant anything (when we teach only theoretically).

14/10/2015

Today we've talked about the European Language Portfolio. It has three parts and it's focus on languages. For teachers is a didactic tool to teach languages and it's very useful and enjoyable. Besides we've sung a song with the teacher because it is a resource to study languages with the children.

To learn more about European Language Portfolio.

Here we can find how we can work with the European Language Portfolio with kids in Primary School: http://elp.ecml.at/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=DNdgQcAwKVs%3D&tabid=2747&language=en-GB When I've discovered this page I've wanted to use it with my children.

We can create a personal language portfolio to introduce this topic to the children ツ:

This class has been very interesting because the teacher has talked us about an useful resource for children at school. I think that it's very important that we learn how we should act in class.

Something that I've learnt today is that is very important to encourage students to study languages since they are children. Therefore I've learnt that a teacher should use different kind of methods to introduce a topic, a word... because each student likes or needs a different method of learning ✔

13/10/2015

Yesterday we didn't have class because it was a holiday (It was the Hispanic Heritage Day). Today I've been very tired because I've gone in Cádiz this weekend and it is far so I had to spend a lot of hours in the car.

At today's class we have been talked about the importance of the rhythm in a word or in a phrase. Besides the teacher has shown us three tongue twisters because it is very interesting and funny for children and a very useful resource fot teachers. There are a lot of examples of tongue twisters on British Council to use in class. Then we've seen a lot of examples of rhymes. Finally we've listened songs about examples of the verb tenses.

Now i'm going to share an example of tongue twister:

This class has been entertaining because we've seen many useful resources to use with children and the songs and rhymes are the best way to explain something to little students.

This is an example of rhyme that I like too:

What I've learnt today is that we can use rhymes and songs to explain anything to our children: the professions, the fingers, the solar system, the countris of the world... in a funny way. I've learnt that we must take into account the songs that we use with children because they are like "sponges" and they try to repeat the song once and once.

08/10/2015

Today we've done our presentatios about the different teaching approaches. Each group have explained a method with examples, pictures, advantages, disadvantages... While we've explained our work, the teacher has filmed us with a videocamera to watch the presentations later at home.

Our presentation has been about Total Physical Response and we've talked about what is TPR, the roles of teachers and students, the objective of this method, advantages and disadvantages and finally we've invented an activity which pretends to teach the classroom's vocabulary.

In the activity the teacher orders something like:

"Stand up and touch the blackboard!"

"Take your partner's pencil with your right hand" ...

And a video: Here we go round The Mulberry Bush

This class has been productive because we've seen more examples and new things about each approach and we would use it in the future.

What I've learnt today is that each pupil is different and this methods are designed for the whole group. For this reason we've change those that we need so that students obtain a meaningful learning.

06/10/2015

Today we've continued working with phonetics and we've had an exercise. After that we've seen some videos about storytelling on British Council. Therefore, in groups of four, we've invented a story about the Little Red Riding Hood because previously we had seen the video.

Finally we've listened a song and we've done some exercises abuot it: to rewrite the sentences, to write the missing words...

This class has been very interesting and complete because we've done a lot of different activities and I've enjoyed a lot. When I studied at High School I did the same exercises with the songs and I liked it.

What I have learnt today is the same thing that on the previous lessons: when I'm in class I should be an actress because I am the best example for my students and they will try to do what I do.

05/10/2015

Fourth week of class ✔

First of all, in this class, the teacher has shown us how we should upload our activities in Moodle because there are a lot of us that don't upload the activities of each theme. Later we've spoken about "the common European framework of reference" which is about how to introduce foreign languages for very young learners, multilingualism, plurilingualism, the official certificates...

In this picture we can see the different levels and the skills to achieve. 

For more information: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/source/framework_en.pdf

Today I was very tired but in spite of that fact I've been very attentive because languages are something very important for us as teachers and something very useful for our future job and our own life nowadays.

Something that I've learnt today is that there are five skills to pass the official exam of English: reading, listening, writing, speaking (which is divided in two parts: speaking production and speaking interaction). This skill, speaking interaction (communication) is the most important thing to learn the language. 

01/10/2015

Today, at first, we've done an exercise about phonetics. The teacher has written on the blackboard many words and we have to write them in phonetics symbols. After that we've corrected this exercise and then we've seen videos about storytelling that can help us when we stay in class with our children. These videos are about animals, colors, colors, verbs... Finally we've practiced the roll play. With a partner we should perform a customer and a restaurant manager.

An example of storytelling:

I think that this class has been one of the best because we've seen a lot of things that can help us in the future. The videos are a good resource for students to learn. Besides the roll play can improve our way of behaving in class.

What I've learnt today is that if we want to be good teachers we should do things that can be ashamed like roll play. I'm very shy but this is bad for me and for my future as a teacher. I know that I'll change it!!! ツツ

30/09/2015

First of all the teacher has asked us about which school we've chosen to practice because this morning we have had a meeting about it. Therefore we've made a raffle because we should do a presentation in groups. Then we've answered a question in the forum of the subject about the importance of knowing rules on Education. Besides the teacher has asked us about how to introduce the culture in children. Finally we've talked about methodology.

This class has been interesting because we've made a lot of things and it has happened to me quickly. In spite of that fact I would like to finish soon with the royal decree and things like that ✘. For the question abut the importance of knowing rules on Education, I think that is very important for teachers to do their work better.

Today I've learnt that it's important to know the rules on Education to be a good teacher because it depends on what you know and how you use this knowledge.

• Now I share a web page in which we have ten ways to teach the culture in children: (food, holidays, clothing, time, music, money, traditional stories, religion, history and family)

http://busyteacher.org/7080-top-10-ways-to-teach-culture.html

29/09/2015

Today we've continued talking about phonetics. The teacher has prepared papers with vowels and consonants with pictures for children to understand better. While he has showed us the pictures we've written the examples in our notebooks. After that we've done many examples, writing a word in phonetic symbols. Finally, in pairs or in groups, we've written a limerick and the next day we'll show it everybody.

These are examples about who can we teach phonetics in a funny way:

Besides, this is the limerick that I've written with my partners:
THERE IS A DOG IN A WINDOW
HE WANTS TO TOUCH THE RAINBOW
WHAT A BAD IDEA!
IT DOESN'T MATTER HERE
THE RAINBOW IS NOT IN THE WINDOW

This class has been interesting for me because before I'd never seen phonetics in this way, with pictures and with many examples and I think that this is useful for my future as a teacher. Besides I've enjoyed a lot doing the limerick.

What I've learnt today is that one of the most important things of learning English is the pronunciation and it depends on the phonetics that you have learned during your life as a student.

28/09/2015

Third week of class

At first, the teacher has shown us a paper bin outside the class and she has told us that we should recycling and use it when we need. Then we have chosen our groups to do a presentation. Besides today some of us have prepared our names with different materials (cardboard, paper, colours...) because the teacher still doesn't remember all our names. Like this:

Therefore we've spoken about the royal decree. As we were tired we've stopped five minutes to run, to laugh... Later we've spoken about the elements of the curriculum and we've said different evaluation criteria. Finally we've spoken about the decree: the evaluation, methodology, subjects, objectives...

From my point of view this class has been very boring because today I was so tired too. But finally the teacher has spoken us about different experiences in her class and I've been very attentive because I love listening people's experiences about something that I want to be (a teacher)  ツ because I can learn.

Today I've learnt that if  I want that my pupils learn English better, I should speak English all the time during my lessons. The reason is that they try to understand and they help each other to understand and I think that they pay more attention because is more difficult than understand our own language.

24/09/2015

Today  has been the last day of the week and the last day that we have talking about the methods an approaches of teaching too. That day we've finished this theme with the task based teaching method, the total physical response and the natural approach. During this class we've watched a lot of videos about this methods to apreciate better the characteristics of each one. Finally we've practiced phonetics using videos and songs.

Now I am going to share some videos to learn the methods that we've studied today...

TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE (TPR) (My favourite ツ)

THE NATURAL APPROACH

This class has been less boring than the others in which we've spoken about the methods. Maybe because this methods are more entertaining... Besides I love listening songs that we listened when I was a child like this: Head, shoulders, knees and toes... ♫ ♪

What I've learnt today is something more about phonetics (I think that I need it) and the methods and approaches that we've seen today and that is very important making learning fun.

23/09/2015

Today first of all we've done an activity in groups. This activity consists in doing a map about the Organic Law of Education (LOE). The rest of the lesson we've spoken about this law like the previous lesson. During this lesson there is a moment in which all of us have fun running and jumping with the teacher. We have done this activity because there are moments during the class that we are tired or bored and the teacher knows that we need a rest. ✌

This class has been very productive because if we do the homework in class we can ask doubts to the teacher. Other advantage is that if we do the homework in class... we have more tome to enjoy in the afternoon!!! ツツツ Besides I've felt a bit boring at times because the laws makes me feel this way.

Today I've learnt that it's very important that children enjoy and learn at the same time because now I'm a student but in two years more or less I'll teach and I want that my children loves my lessons.

22/09/2015

Today we have continued learning about the methods and approaches in language teaching. We have talked about five new methods: the oral approach and situational language teaching, the audio-lingual method, the communicative language teaching, suggestopedia and the silent way. While we have learnt the teacher put some videos about each one.

To learn more about this methods... ✔

THE ORAL APPROACH AND SITUATIONAL LANGUAGE TEACHING

THE AUDIO-LINGUAL METHOD

COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING

SILENT WAY

From my point of view this class has been a bit voring because all the methods has something similar and it's a lot of theory. Maybe this lessons can make me feel tired but I know that is important to learn it.

I have learnt more about different methods that I'll use when I stay in class with my children. Besides I've learnt which methods are effective and which not.

21/09/2015

Begins the second week of class... ツ ツ

Today we have spoken about the preamble of the Organic Law of Education (LOE). Before this class we had read this chapter at home. Therefore we have spoken about the advantages and disadvantages about the changes that politicians make on the laws of education and why affect them at children, teachers and schools.

From my point of view... It's very difficult to teachers and schools prepare good lessons if each year the gobernment changes one law or something about a law. For children is very difficult because they need a law with which they learn all that they need and this is achieved by changing a few things about the previous law, not the whole law.

The class today have been interesting. We should speak about the law that affect our future job but we have listened this text year after year and can be very boring for this reason.

I leave the class thinking that is very important that the politicians make their work and think more about what need people and less in what they want. If all years they change the law of education, schools never get used the new law and they won't do their job well.

This is the entire document about the Organic Law of Education (LOE)
http://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Spain/Spain_LOE_eng.pdf

17/09/2015

That day the teacher explain us two methods of teaching, the grammar-translation method and the direct method. Both are used in Primary Education and each one has advantages and disadvantages. Before the explanation, in couples, we should think about this question: advantages and disadvantages. Finally we have seen a video about these methods.


I think that this class, in spite of the fact that is very boring listening to the teacher all the time, is very important for us because in the future we should teach and we need to use this methods or others.

What I've learnt today is something new about this methods. I knew these methods but today I've learnt a bit more and how I use it. Besides I've learnt that children need to learn vocabulary, grammar... but the need to learn how they can use this learning in their life too.

Watching this video we learn more about the Grammar-Translation Method (GTM). Videos are very useful resource for children to learn. ✎

16/09/2015

Today we have started the class reading the guide of the subject. Then the teacher has asked us if we thought that a teacher could change the world. We have discussed in groups of three or four and besides we should share our opinions with the rest of the class. Finally we should think about something that we remembered of our childhood and which made us felt good. ❤

At first the class has been very boring because we have read the guide of the subject and all the guides of subjects are the same!!! But when the teacher has started telling us things about our degree and her experiences I've felt more entertaining and the class has been better.

Today I've learnt that to be a good teacher is something that you learnt with your experience as a student at the school. What I want to say is that if you have a good teacher, you'll be a good teacher in the future because you want to be like him/her.

15/09/2015

Today's class has been like yesterday's class. The difference is that the teacher has been different, today has been a boy called Juan Antonio. We have spoken about our hobbies, our village... because the teacher didn't know us. Before, in groups, we have told about our English experience in Primary School. Then we have told everybody our conclusions, advantages and disadvantages.

This class has been like yesterdays' but today I feel less nervous. I think that is very important that we talk about our mistakes during Primary School to solve them and not to repeat them.

Today I have learnt that to be a good teacher you should do things that students understand easily and try to make all more fun and enjoyable. Therefore I realized that there are a lot of us that have similar experiences with the English teachers in Primary School: we have learnt a lot of vocabulary but we have had very few opportunities to practice it.

14/09/2015

Today we have had our first class of English Methodology. The teacher has been a woman called Maribel. There have been a lot of people that I didn't know because some of us had class in the morning and others in the evening. Because of that the teacher tell us to speak about our life, our hobbies, where we live, how old are we...
When we have finished this activity, we have told to our partner why we have decided to study this degree and the reasons. Then our partner have to tell everybody that we tell him/her.

After this class I was very nervous, because I'm very shy and I am ashamed when I have to speak English ✘. My surprise have been that I have felt very comfortable and I've wanted to continue learning ✔.

What I have learnt in this class is that to be a teacher you need to love children and your future job because is a very important degree and the education of others depends on you. Besides I realized that since I was a child I enjoyed a lot with this subject (English).