Methodology

 June,30th 2015 

IPEV PROJECT : An ipad experience learning in my school.

Last year my school, Escolapias in Valencia, started a new method of learning through the use of ipad.

The main problem for school children is that traditionally, the classroom doesn’t demand they practice adapting to a situation or problem solve open-ended enough scenarios. It’s always been mostly a matter of fitting in and following the guidelines laid out by the teacher. It’s heartening to participate in stories like the "IPEV project" one that show things are changing but these examples still exist as a minority in education.

This is where I am being witnessed the iPad itself shift the learning landscape of my school. They are helping but also demands adaptation on multiple levels from both teacher and student. Here’s where iPads are helping in developing what might just be the key skill for 21st century existence: Adaptability.

If you want to know more about this project of my school, you can wacth the following videos.

 

 Escolapias website


June, 29th 2015 

MOTIVATION: A key for education improvement

Last English class, when it was explained what the affective filter hypothesis consist of and the role that supports motivation, I remembered a few personal experiences in which the following aspects had an invaluable importance.

Motivated students tend to feel comfortable and confident about their learning process and besides, increase immediately the speed with which they acquire knowledge. For this reason, is highly advisable to invest our efforts in an education as individualized ass possible to children, because each kid answers in a different way to the opportunities that we offer in order to get their attention and interest in the subject.

We can observe students are more likely to engage in learning when they:

• see value in what they’re learning
• believe that engaging in specific actions will bring about a desired outcome
• believe they can be successful
• perceive that the environment is supportive

 

If you want to help motivate students . . .

• Use the syllabus to clarify what the student will learn, your expectations, and how the course will be conducted
• At the beginning of class, explain the focus of the class and what they should be able to know and do by the end.
• Align what happens with this initial framing of the class
• Close the class with a summary.
• Prepare students for future classes and other learning opportunities.

June, 21st 2015  

How can we encourage boys to read for pleasure?

I am a first grade teacher of Primary and one of the most important contents of the subject of Language is learning to read.

For that reason I read an article carefully which explained that the interest in reading among children was lower in comparison with the girls.

If you are a Language teacher, I strongly recommend read it. I agree with main ideas. My experience is similar than the author of this article.

What can we do to encourage the boys to read more?

Get dad reading

The best role models seem to be dads, sports coaches and athletes, men the boys aspire to be. If they experience these men reading and sharing their love of books then reading is not seen as a female occupation.

Be creative

One way to get boys engaged is by being a bit creative.

Inspire boys at home

If we want our children to value reading then we have to give books currency in the home. It is often hard to find texts that both parents and teenagers can enjoy together.

Think about it like sport

The journalist thinks that explaining to boys that improving their reading is like sports training or playing an instrument can do the trick: they acknowledge the effort that needs to go into these kinds of activities; knowing the brain is like a muscle that can be trained can often help.

Build trust

With reluctant boys it’s vital to establish a relationship with them if they are to trust you.

Read things that tap into their interests and, most importantly, be patient. Keep at it. You’ll hook them in the end.

You can see this article in the follow link:

 http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/jun/11/how-can-we-encourage-boys-to-read-for-pleasure-teachers-give-their-views

 June, 20th 2015  

  A sentimental education

 

Last Sunday I found an article at the British paper, “The Guardian”. Because of the suggestive name of his title, “A sentimental Education”, not only did I read it but I also became interested in their content.  

 The Guardian presented the educational experience of Drumduan Upper School as a successful way for teaching and learning. According to Drumduan’s head, Techer Krzysztof Zajaczkowski, this school has radical ideas. In this school there are not exams, no tests, no hierarchies and even sitting at desks are refused whenever possible. 

The origin of this center is very recent. Was the actor Tilda Swinton, who cofounded the school in 2013 with Ian Sutherland McCook, when he sought to persuade the trustees there to take on the project of creating an upper school, as students at Moray Steiner must graduate at 14. When that failed, they decided to go it alone.

The learning is essentially practical. Everyone can go through this school without any tests at any time. One of the pupil explained they learn their science by building a Canadian canoe, by making a knife, or by caramelizing onions, for example. As a consequence, students, who are part of Drimduan’s community, feel themselves confident, highly motivated and respectful.

Incredulous, the journalist who wrote this article wanted to see by himself this miracle of the education. 

Therefore, the head teacher invited him to join the group on a school trip.  During the trip to the tiny island of Colonsay students were deprived of their mobile phones. Thus they were at the mercy of their own initiative. Although some activities planned for the week were relatively unstructured. The head teacher felt it was important for children to have the freedom to be bored. From that moment, the journalist describes how activities performed.

Whatever the journalist wrote seemed exciting. However, in my opinion there are some doubts about this educational system that should be clarified before proposing this model as a suitable model for the education in Spain. I wonder, how these students will make it to university should they wish to go is never fully resolved. We can forget that in an education system so heavily predicated on grades.

In any case, there is something else, too, and it has to do with the rare sense of communion within the school. Drumduan is still a very small school, just 17 students, so it doesn’t take long to develop an easy familiarity with everyone – which must also be characteristic of attending the school. 

Finally I agree with the last reflection of the author of this article.

“We live in an age when people talk endlessly about individuality, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen it as clearly delineated as in the contrast between the students of Drumduan with those of more typical schools”

If you are interested to know more about Drumduan features system, I invite you to read the full article. http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/13/education-school-tilda-swinton-scotland

Here you can visit the official website: http://www.drumduan.org/

 

June, 13th 2015                                 

                              The day I discovered who is Howard Gardner

I don’t forget the day I discovered who is Howard Gardner. One day, when I was studying my History of Arts degree, my teacher of Didactics talked about a new theory related to intelligence. It was the first time I understood what were multiple intelligences.

From this moment until now, I have had an extreme interest to put in practice this theory with my pupils in class. Obviously this attempt it is not easy because I'm aware of the importance that I need more training.

In any case I’m going to trying to briefly outline my conclusions about Howard Gardner that I think can be useful for any teacher.

As an educator, I learnt three primary lessons for any educator from Gardner’s theory:

    1. Individualize your teaching as much as possible. Instead of “one size fits all,” learn as much as you can about each student, and teach each person in ways that they find comfortable and learn effectively. Of course this is easier to accomplish with smaller classes. But ‘apps’ make it possible to individualize for everyone.

    2. Pluralize your teaching. Teach important materials in several ways, not just one (e.g. through stories, works of art, diagrams, role play). In this way you can reach students who learn in different ways. Also, by presenting materials in various ways, you convey what it means to understand something well. If you can only teach in one way, your own understanding is likely to be thin.

    3. Drop the term “styles.” It will confuse others and it won’t help either you or your students.

    4.  All children are smart in at least one field of knowledge. Find out! That is your task as a teacher.

Website links:

A real case of one school where it is carrying out a completely different approach using the model based on multiple intelligences. 

An interview in Spanish from the TV programme: Redes. 

   June, 10th 2015 

Common European Framework of Reference: Essential in today’s Spain

Spain is a multicultural country and as a consequence is a multilingual state. Besides all the languages spoken by the immigrant communities, 4 languages are official: Spanish, Catalan, Euskera and Galego. 

The learning of some of these official languages, coexists in primary and secondary school with the learning of foreign languages (English and/or French or German, basically) and the learning at home of the progenitors’ mother tongue, in some cases. However, despite this rich scenario, Spaniards occupy the last positions in the linguistic domain surveys. 

In this context, tools or strategies to improve the learning of languages are very valuable. Thus, the creation of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages has had a very important role in the modern Spanish educational environment. Thanks to the CEFR, nowadays we have common bases for the elaboration of language syllabuses, textbooks, examinations… across Europe, facilitating language learning but also staff mobility (among Spain and along Europe) as a consequence of language proficiency.

To conclude, I can’t understand the multiculturality and the pluringualism of Spain (and/or Europe) without the CEFR.  No one told me that the introduction this common basis in the Spanish state has been a milestone in the learning of languages.  I have experience the benefits.