Hello,
I would like to start with the proverb that we have all been repeating throughout our course:
The proverb illustrates best what Courtney has done during these weeks. I have been involved and I have learned so many things.
The week has been overwhelming for most of us. We had to finish our drafts, to keep up with our weekly assignments and to learn more about ANVILL with our special guest, who was the creator of a wonderful tool.
I would like to start with my draft project, first. I managed to finish it on time but I had to work really hard. These two weeks will be hectic for me and I won't be able to follow our class discussion as closely as I used to do. Anyway, writing the draft required to think and anticipate all the details related to my course. Since it is during the second term, which means it does not start until March 2014, it was a little bit more difficult for me to plan the course so much ahead of its time. However, my analysis and my ideas were mainly based on the past experience.
Regarding our week's assignments, I really liked the sited on designing our exercises and making our tests. I got so much carried over them that I prepared four exercises, two crosswords and two exercises on Hot Potato. I installed the program on my computer as I am definitely going to use it more often during this year. It was easy to use and you could do a variety of exercises, you could even add images, links with the exercises, designing your exercises quite different from the traditional way that our students are used to. When our students will see that we make efforts into our teaching, that we are more committed and by bringing a variety of materials in class, they will feel more appreciated and will become motivated. They will perceive our genuine engagement in their learning process, which will make them to be involved and to participate in class activities.
Last but not least, ANVILL and our unique opportunity to speak with Jeff Maggot, its creator. What I found really fascinating about the tool were the various activities that students and teachers could do with the tool. It is an authentic tool that improves students' pronunciation, their listening skills and speaking skills. The four language skills were smoothly combined with any activity. If students are reluctant to write, they could record themselves. It was truly an international tool as you could use it for different languages. I really liked the multimedia options that you could use with any lesson that a teacher could design.
Well, there were so many new things that we did not only learn about during these weeks, but we were invited to be actually "full hands on them"!
Regards,
Daniela
I would like to start with the proverb that we have all been repeating throughout our course:
Tell me and I will listen,
Show me and I will remember,
Involve me and I will learn!
The proverb illustrates best what Courtney has done during these weeks. I have been involved and I have learned so many things.
The week has been overwhelming for most of us. We had to finish our drafts, to keep up with our weekly assignments and to learn more about ANVILL with our special guest, who was the creator of a wonderful tool.
I would like to start with my draft project, first. I managed to finish it on time but I had to work really hard. These two weeks will be hectic for me and I won't be able to follow our class discussion as closely as I used to do. Anyway, writing the draft required to think and anticipate all the details related to my course. Since it is during the second term, which means it does not start until March 2014, it was a little bit more difficult for me to plan the course so much ahead of its time. However, my analysis and my ideas were mainly based on the past experience.
Regarding our week's assignments, I really liked the sited on designing our exercises and making our tests. I got so much carried over them that I prepared four exercises, two crosswords and two exercises on Hot Potato. I installed the program on my computer as I am definitely going to use it more often during this year. It was easy to use and you could do a variety of exercises, you could even add images, links with the exercises, designing your exercises quite different from the traditional way that our students are used to. When our students will see that we make efforts into our teaching, that we are more committed and by bringing a variety of materials in class, they will feel more appreciated and will become motivated. They will perceive our genuine engagement in their learning process, which will make them to be involved and to participate in class activities.
Last but not least, ANVILL and our unique opportunity to speak with Jeff Maggot, its creator. What I found really fascinating about the tool were the various activities that students and teachers could do with the tool. It is an authentic tool that improves students' pronunciation, their listening skills and speaking skills. The four language skills were smoothly combined with any activity. If students are reluctant to write, they could record themselves. It was truly an international tool as you could use it for different languages. I really liked the multimedia options that you could use with any lesson that a teacher could design.
Well, there were so many new things that we did not only learn about during these weeks, but we were invited to be actually "full hands on them"!
Regards,
Daniela
Dear Daniela,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to comment on another person blog and yours has captured my attention this week. Do you know why? Look: the reader who does not know what you have been doing/learning through the week, after reading your weekly reflection, gets immediately the image of what you have done! I appreciate that!
Well, the proverb you have reminded (Tell me and I will listen, Show me and I will remember, Involve me and I will learn!), as for me, emphasizes again the learner autonomy, where students are responsible of their learning. In fact, when students are involved in their learning they learn and remember better. Again, in an independent learning, students learn according to their styles.
Moreover, I can see that you liked ANVILL. May I invite you to refer you to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivbo8iGEoYg and enjoy watching people discussing around the table?
Finally, I note that you have explored many online resources this week. I hope that if you are teaching today, you are going to use some of them (if not all); and if you are not teaching now, let’s hope when you start classes, the resources will be referential.
Best wishes from Sosthene
Hello, Daniela,
ReplyDeleteI liked your post. It describes exactly what we have been doing this week. We have been offered a tank of interesting online tools that can make our teaching more motivating for our students.
I absolutely agree with you that HotPotatoes is a great way to create different useful exercises.
I agree with you that if a teacher is enthusiastic in his/her job, students feel it and become more engaging in learning process.
Good luck!
Valeria