LESSON 17 - 30 / 11 / 2016

UNIT 2: THE SYLLABUS AND THE LESSON PLANNING. KEY COMPETENCES. 

Brief description about the class

At the beginning of the lesson, the professor has explained us the next activity that we have to do. This is the elaboration of a Syllabus (Didactic Unit). She has told us how we have to develop it, its principal parts (objectives, contents, key competences...).

To know exactly what we have to do in this Syllabus, the professor has shown us some videos. These videos has been about the LOMCE, and how this law affects to our didactic unit, and how we have to create according to this law. 

We also has played in the fantastic application called Kahoot. We have answered the questions that we had created.

Finally, the professor has shared with us how we can use PDC generator, in order to upload our syllabus. 

What I have learnt

Along my degree, I have done many Didactic Units, so I think that all that the professor has told us I have already know it. Although, it is good to remember it. 

What I did not know anything has been about PDC generator. I find it quite useful to upload documents and files with our professor. 

My personal opinion

The most exciting part of this class has been when we have played Kahoot. I guess that all of us love this game, and we all try to win it. If we like so much this game, I can not imagine how children can love it.

I believe that Í am going to use it in my future classes, in order to review some concepts or contents. 

LESSON 16 - 24 / 11 / 2016

READING AND TELLING STORIES

Brief description about the class

In this class, a classmates' group has exposed this topic: Reading and telling stories. They have given us some tips to improve this skill (reading) in class, and how we should do it. They have made some games to practice it. 

The first activity has been "Story circle". In this activity, the teacher starts a story and students have to continue it. Another activity has been:  "Bears like honey but not bees". The teacher tell a story, and children have to interpretate what s/he says.

Then,  another activity: "Elmers' story". First, we have read the story and then, they have given us some piece of colour paper, and we have put in it what we have learnt, and put  then on Elmers' body. 

The final game has been: Fan of stories. 

What I have learnt

I have learnt more about how we can use reading and telling stories in our classes, in order to improve English. They have given us several tips, for instance: when we tell a story in class, we have to speak spontaneously, with natural intonation, using eye contact and gestures to attract children's attention. 

Also, when we use reading in class, as teachers, we have to read the story several times, practice telling story aloud at home (checking our own mistakes when we do it), record yourself  (know your mistakes and improve them), prepare questions and activities, among others. 

My personal opinion

It has been a nice exposition. I have to highlight the activity of Elmer, because I think they have worked so hard to make Elmer and to prepare it. I find quite interesting how through this activity we can improve in our children their reading, and also the writing. It is very nice to put in Elmers' body what children have learnt, and then, when they have finished, we can read aloud with them what people has written. 

LESSON 15 - 23 / 11 / 2016

ICT FOR THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH

Brief description about the class

In this class, we have finished the unit 5. ICT for the teaching of English. The professor has explained us what we should do in the activity "Collaborative story", that we have to do at home. 

Also, the professor has shown us how we can create and design a website. We should go to Google sites to create it. We have been trying to do it in class, starting the design of our own website.

In addition, the professor has shown us how we can use PowerPoint Templates and Symbaloo. Symbaloo is a good application to organize our resources and most important pages.

In the end, the professor has explain us how E - twinning and Erasmus + can work in a school and their importance.

What I have learnt

In this class I have learnt many things. Most of the apps that the professor has shown us, I did not know them, as symbaloo or Power Point Template. 

Also, I have never created a website, and she has explain how to do it. 

I have learnt more about e - twinning and erasmus +, how we can use in our own school, how it works, what types of activities we can create using this exchange programme.

My personal opinion

I have found this lesson quite interesting. Most of the things we have talked in this class,  I have never heard about it before.

I think the application of symbaloo is pretty useful to organice our resources and share them with other teachers. It is very nice to share what we consider interesting and important with other people.

Also, I have never heard before about E - twinning, and I think that is very important to English teachers. We can organize exchanges with other countries and schools and follow the same project. It is very nice that our students can go to other countries, meet new people, improve their language, live new experiences... I think these type of exchange programmes are a very good opportunity to our children.

LESSON 14 - 17 / 11 / 2016

WRITING IN ENGLISH

Brief description about the class

In this lesson, our classmates have exposed this topic called: Writing in English. They have given us some tips that we could use in our classes in order to improve the writing of our pupils. They also have told us the importance of writing in English. 

They have proposed some activities about writing, for instance, create an story through pictures, learn the alphabet and form words with the letters of the alphabet, guess the name of different shadows made with the hands...

By last, the professor have shown us a questionare made with the questions that we gave her yesterday and we have done it.

What I have learnt

I have learnt a lot about writing in english. It is very important to students to practice the production skills, as speaking and writing. Through their activities, we have checked that there are many ways to practice writing than the traditional ways. We can play a lot of games with students practising writing. 

My personal opinion

In my opinion, it has been a great exposition. They have always had our attention and they have proposed many funny games. Also, they have completed their exposition giving us some information about writing that we should know as teachers. 

LESSON 13 - 16 / 11 / 2016

CLASS DOJO AND OTHER APPS

Brief description about the class

The class started with the creation of a questionaire of two questions, in which we had to put three different answers. We did it in pairs. 

Then, the professor showed us an educational application called "Class Dojo". Using this application, we can check the list, give possitive points to our students... In this application, each of us had an avatar and we could personalize it. 

Finally, we looked at Unit 5: ICT for the teaching of English. In pairs, we had to select an application that the professor shared with us, and investigate how it worked and how we can use it with our students.

What I have learnt

In this lesson, I learnt lots of things. First of all, the application of Class Dojo. It showed us how we can check list in a funnier way, and how students can enjoy doing it. I had never heard about it, so it is very interesting. 

Also, working with the different apps, I had learnt how we can use them to teach students.

My personal opinion

It had been such a great session. I had enjoyed a lot with Class Dojo, and how it works. I had passed a good time creating my avatar and personalising it. In my opinion, if we enjoy a lot with it, I can not imagine how children could like it. I hope I am able to use it in my class, and I think my students are going to love it. 

It is very useful to teachers of this century to know about technology, and how we can use it in order to teach children in an atractive way. 

LESSON 12 - 10 / 11 / 2016

READING IN ENGLISH

Brief description about the class

In this lesson, our classmates have exposed their topic: Reading in English. It has been a practical lesson, without theory. They have divided the students in three groups. Each group has been with one of them. The first game we have played has been like a "Cluedo". There was a murdered. They have given us some characters and their role with the murdered, and with these descriptions, we have to guess who has been the murder.

The second one, has been related to an apocalypsis zombie. The speaker has given us some instructions about what we have to do, and we have to choose one each time. We have to be clever, because there were some options that makes you die, and we  should choose the options that permits you to survive. 

The third one, was about a game in which we have to guess the story of a haunted palace. Each one of us have to investigate in each room of the palace, and tell the others what we have found. With clues that the speaker has told us, we have discovered the haunted secret of the palace and what happens there.

What I have learnt

As it has been a practical lesson, I have learnt games that we could use in a lesson with our students. They have given us some keys about how to introduce the reading in english in class in a funnier way and how we can adapt these games to children. 

My personal opinion

It has been such a great lesson. We have enjoyed a lot. Speaking personally, I think they have prepared a lot the exposition and the games we have played.

I prefer these type of expositions in which we learn about the topic in a practical way, than the expositions in which there are a lot of theory. They have shown us how we can practice reading in english in a way, that in my case, I have never imagined.

LESSON 11 - 09 / 11 / 2016

TEACHER OF XXI CENTURY

Brief description about the class

First of all, we have started the UNIT 5: ICT for the teaching of English. We have already made the cuestionaire about "Teacher of XXI century". We also have reflected about what we know of ICT, and how important is nowadays in education. 

We also have seen a video talking about "Google Sites", and how we can use this application in our classes.

What I have learnt

What I have learnt in this class is to reflect about which habilities I have to develop to be a good teacher. As we are living in a technological world, we have to manage all this applications. Our students know a lot of internet and technology, and we have to know how to explain them it. We have to be sure that our students use this technology in a correct way. 

My personal opinion

This class has been such interesting, because we have talked about the importance of ICT in schools. We are surrounded by technology, at the university, at home... and we have to know how exactly we have to use this technology in a correct way.

If we are not prepared to use these technologies, we will not able to explain our students how to use them.

LESSON 10 - 03 / 11 / 2016

SPEAKING MORE FREELY

Brief description about the class

Our classmates have presented their topic called: “Speaking more freely”. 

First, to practice we have played “Chinese whisper”. This game is like our “Teléfono escacharrado”. Also, they have sbown us a game called “Conversational cards”, to talk in pairs about familiar topics. 

Another game that we have played is “Pass the ball”. We have listened a song, and when the teacher stopped it, the person who had the ball have to talk about a picture that the teacher  had shown us. 

Another game is “Halloween Heads – up”. This game consists in guessing a caracther or a thing that appears in a card. This card has to be put on our head, and making questions to our partners, we have to guees who or which thing we are.

 The last game has been “Spot the differences”.

What I have learnt

I have learnt a lot. They have focus on how we can develop the speaking in a freely way in our class. They have told us some keys about how we have to speak to our pupils as not to speak so fast, speak slow and pronunciate in the correct way what we have saying...

My personal opinion

Speaking personally, this exposition has been pretty well. They have explained us their topic so good. They have focused on the most important things related to "Speaking freely". They have been relaxed, what is important to create an appropiate atmosphere in the class. Also, the games, in my opinion, have been adequate to the topic. 

So, in conclusion, I have found the exposition quite funny and adequate to the topic, showing good understanding about the topic.

LESSON 9 - 02 / 11 /2016

SPEAKING WITH SUPPORT

Brief description about the class

A class group has shown us their topic: Speaking with support. They have presented us some classroom phrases that our pupils can use in class, for instance: What is the meaning of...? Can you spell this word?. They also have told us the importance of saying rhymes and singing songs. They have presented us the song “Old Mac Donald had a farm” to work this aspect. Also, we have listened the song “Count of me” by Bruno Mars, with the lyrics and we have done some activities related to it.

They have explained us about how to work practising new vocabulary. They have shown us some pictures about clothes, and some person hide a picture, and we have to find what picture is missing. We also have played: I spy with my little eye.

They have explained the importance of playing vocabulary games too, using riddles and an activity to learn the jobs.

By last, they have exposed us about practising pronunciation of new sounds.

What I have learnt in this lesson

I think I have learnt a lot about this topic. It is so important to practice speaking with our children and they have shown us how to do it in a funnier way. They have explained lots of aspects that we have to work with our children like pronunciation, vocabulary...

My personal opinion

In my opinion, speaking is the most important part in English. We can study new vocabulary and grammar, but it is so difficult to apply it when we speak. In the first ages of children, is when they can acquire a perfect pronunciation and fluency on speaking. Because of this aspect, as teachers we have to be worried about our own pronunciation, to teach our pupils in a correct way. We have to improve our pronunciation to not teach our children some mistakes related to it.

There are some interesting resources like rhymes, tongtwisters, songs...which can help us to work speaking in a funnier way.