April 21, 2014. Los Santos, Costa Rica. 1st Day.
*** Linguistic and methodological competences for English teachers of cycles I and II ***
* Training starts with: Coordinator’s (Mr. Manolo Rojas) introduction.
There are 2 trainned in ESL teachers: Joseph and Sky Coon.
- Training will have a certificate (40 hour assistance is mandatory to get it).
- Teachers have a few minutes to talk to their partner and say 3 things
about themselves in English (how long they have been working for the
M.E.P. and something particular/surprising that might have happened
during Easter week).
- Coordinator emphasized in the "extraordinary" situations that happened
i.e. having a job (nowadays it's a miracle due to so many unemployment in the world).
- Sky memorized the names of all the participants. = Memory techniques.
- A printed program is handed with the Objectives, contents, activities
and evaluation of the training.
- Coordinator has a presentation: TPCC The power of communicative
competence. "Creativity is very important". Ability to communicate in an effective way so that the other person understands you.
* How can communicative competence help our students? (i.e. how to
make our students interested in learning English?
Sky's advice: “as they're born in a new technology era, we must connect them with the
past and future and just not an "para defenderme". Bring the future
into the present.
- Coordinator explained about his experience in Oaxaca and his English class as he asked the students if they would like to have an English class and they all responded with a yes. "If
you're students are happy they will be willing to learn. If your students are not learning and you continue to do the same thing over and over again, change it!"
* I believe that: kids are facing totally new world. They need certain
competences to succeed in this life, instead of traditional methods.
Communicative competence in L2 can benefit our students in a great way
in a near future. All it takes is teachers desire to learn how to
implement it (cc) in an effective way in order to enhance their
teaching and be open to new ideas.
* How to do that?: Teacher training issues diagram (4).
Motivation/adaptation/Application. TEACHER is the most important
(technology is important but it cannot substitute a teacher.
Technology doesn't have a heart, and a heart is to love our students).
* In there words: Motivation: Provides incentive for teachers to
enhance their knowledge in order to promote communicate competence. /
Adaptation: helps teachers to get accustomed to a new environment and
to work out new methods in teaching EFL learners (by using simple
tools). Application: embeds knowledge, abilities and experience into
skill-based activities.
* Coordinator provides a video from Jack C. Richards. Communicative
purposes (i.e. may I have a glass of water? / Can I have a glass of
water? / I could use a glass of water. All examples are communicating
the same purpose).
* Does the methodology used in our schools truly promote the
acquisition of the English language in a competent way? Sky gives an
example of white rice "algo es algo" (something is better than
nothing). It's at least rice, however if you can add something else,
it will be more yummy. Critical thinking (contradiction) attack what I
did yesterday but at the same time protect it. Yesterday was good but
we need to be better tomorrow. That's when creativity should be added.
* Teacher experiences. Advisor class observation. National evaluation
2008 (Costa Rica multilingual). Experiences shared by teachers and
students. National reality (general feeling).
* Objectives: Improve the methodological knowledge of teachers /
Improve the communicative and linguistic competence of teachers. /
Design a proposal that contributes to the implementation of a new
methodological framework in the teaching and learning process and
emerging evaluation instruments.
* Methodological overview: theories such as: Communicative approach /
communicative foundation / teaching for comprehension: competences /
Experimental learning cycle: active, experimental, group-oriented,
interactive, reflexive, meaningful, critical. / Biopedagogy:
contextualized education, in and for life. / Learning styles and MI:
inclusive education and personalized.
* Communication: Skills (receptive-productive) listening * reading *
speaking * writing.
Receptive: listening and reading / Productive: speaking writing (have
a purpose on that). I.e. identify colors (not the same as the pen is
red rather than Red riding hood).
* Function of language: clear linguistic objective (for students and
teachers). What are the students going to get.
(Sky gives an example of the core function of human relationships).
Joseph, ESL teacher:
- Grammar (Spanish is the first european language to have grammar)
English is code to communication (create in our students the need to
communicate in English).
- Joseph presented a video with some kids representing a story just by
reading it (The stinky cheese man) and they also characterize from
script.
- Raising the bar! "teachers often struggle to find interactive
activities that go beyond copying and memorizing" .
- Easy 7 steps process:
• Choosing a script
• Read the text
• Assign roles
• Work on expression
• Practice practice practice!
• Use rubric for student and teacher feedback.
• Perform!
- Choosing a script (at internet it can be found scripts from short
stories for kids to read and characterize).
- Joseph gave and example: Goodnight moon. "From reading out loud to
reading expressively".
- He divided the group in 2 and made each group read the script (taking turns).
- Joseph creates an activity by dividing the group of teachers into 3.
• Listening: recognition with flashcards, listen to it first, ask
questions, fill in the blanks,
• Reading group: unknown words, focus on age, acting out, read in groups
then fill in blanks,
• Pronunciation: realia to reinforce, exaggerate pronunciation,
gestures, dictation, sound effects, subgroups, recording students,
playback, self-monitoring, pair-monitoring.
• Vocabulary: illustration of nouns, actions - performance, perform as hear it.
- Joseph did another activity with the group by dividing them in pairs and ask them what can they find challenging situations in the text (Goodbye moon) for the 3rd level students.
- Memorization is OK, but should not be encouraged. "The reading value
is gone as soon as it's memorized. I want them keep discovering things
on with each reading; to find new ways of expression".
- Joseph assigns another activity were he divides the group in 4, handle
a script and asks to represent it (to be very expressive and use the
techniques). Scripts: The magic flamingo and The three Billy goats
gruff.
- After the groups represented the scripts (short stories) presentation,
Joseph showed another video with the children's reading representation
contest (in Panama).
- Joseph thinks creating contests here in Costa Rica would be
challenging and god to motivate children to learn English (Oral
speeches).
Scripts can be found at: www.thebestclass.org
* Sky teaches now.
- Warm up: overview and some basic memory exercises.
- Presentation: deep motivation and the horizontal and vertical nature of life.
- Practice: internalizing the 52 virtues.
- Evaluation: theatrical presentations of characters developed.
* Association. #4 is one of the most strongest number (in X culture) and
explains how can be associated to other things to remember it. (i.e. 4 seasons, 4 cardinal points, etc.).
- Basic memory exercises.
- "There is a time to memorize and a time not to memorize".
- Making everything as one and unify as possible. Unity is the key to
remember one.
* Sky used and example of instead on putting a piece of information on
top and add another and another it becomes overwhelming for an adult
so he explains information it should be organized as an old librarian;
all the books piled and nicely organized.
- I.e. cells, atoms, organism. Working together (connect, relate and
cooperate to another human being).
- Connect, relate and cooperate (less anxiety, stress, etc.)
- Sky creates an exercise: 31 numbers and how many can be memorized by association. He teaches how everyone can remember it.
(#1) LAVENDER FLOWER
(#2) SWAN
(#3) HORSE SEA
(#4) MINT
(#5) OLIVE
(#6) LITTLE YELLOW CHICKEN
(#7) CASHEW
(#8) JAMAICA FLOWER
(#9) FLAMINGO
(#10) BOWLING PINS
(#11) SOCCER POST
(#12) EGG CARTON
(#13) FLAG STRIPES FROM THE USA FLAG
(#14) GOLD RING
(#15) ATM MACHINE
(#16) TARANTULA
(#17) AIRPLANE
(#18) VOTING BOX
(#19) ECLIPSE (alternative: mini-golf)
(#20) EYE-GLASSES
(#21) DECK OF CARDS
(#22) BALLERINA
(#23) LAMB (related to Phalms 23)
(#24) WATCH
(#25) CHRISTMAS TREE
(#26) ALPHABET SOUP
(#27) WHOOPING CRANE
(#28) JUPITER
(#29) FLAMING SWORD (related to the equinox)
(#30) MOON
(#31) PUMPKIN
* To memorize each of the objects, we associate them to 1 of these:
• Shape
• Time
• Sports
• Number of parts
Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,16, 27 are associated to: SHAPE
Numbers 14,15,17, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30,31 associated to: TIME (date)
Numbers 10,11, 22 associated to: SPORTS
Numbers 12,13, 20, 23, 26 associated to: NUMBER OF PARTS
- Then Sky made each one draw the object associated to each number (and
write their name and email in the back of the paper).
* Final activity: 2 people sitting, the rest are standing in front
holding each of the drawings. He says a number and the people sitting
must run towards the number (which is represented by the image
previously drawn) take it and swap places. So the person that was
standing holding the image needs to trade places with the one who
guessed the number.
This is a very nice, dynamic and entertained way to teach numbers to
students. Also they like to see each others drawings. This is the most
simple TPR technique.
- Sky left homework to do which was to write down the list of the objects.
April 22, 2014. Los Santos, Costa Rica. 2nd Day.
*** Linguistic and methodological competences for English teachers of I and II cycles ***
* Day starts the same way. Mr. Manolo asks the 3 new teachers to say 3
extraordinary things that happened during Easter week. He emphasized
in God, family and home (Scouting values. Lord Baden Powell's value).
- Manolo states he wants to bring more volunteers (from the USA) to come
and help here (not to compete with the local teachers). He emphasized
on continuing to practice and creating the need of having native
speakers in order to practice.
- He also recaps yesterday's training. There is a Peacecorp teacher (Brian) that says
goodbye after 3.5 years working at Los Santos.
* Sky's training.
- Language: how we relate to each other.
- When we teach a foreign language we're not teaching a subject but teaching our students how to be human beings.
- Genesis (whether it's a metaphor or a true story). Adam names the
animals (language). Homosapiens (homo=self same / sapiens= know):
relationship conscious.
- Through language we navigate internet, communicate through email,
phone, interact with people all over the world thanks to language.
This is the motivation for them.
- Love = force of attraction that pulls all of us together. Forces of
attraction (can be also magnetic, chemical, etc). Live connected to
that force (that will remain after we die).
- Sky even refers briefly to Star Wars and the language used -basically anyone can understand it-.
* Sky said: Allow myself to mix these things (religion, neural science and TEFL).
A student doesn't care how much you know until they know how important
they are to you (by trying to learn their names, moods, likes, etc.)
Mentions ways human being to have attention (drama, manipulate,
getting angry, etc).
* Horizontal: egotistic (the drama way to get attention): Celestine
Prophecy: 4 control dramas: poor me, aloof, critic, intimidator.
* Vertical: virtues (harmonious cooperation): Eeyore (melancholic),
Pooh (phlegmatic), Tiger (sanguine), Rabbit (choleric).
* Sky goes into Love & harmony and still have a sense of tragedy (about
sad things). He quotes Winnie Pooh and Shakespear. He transfers these
characters (Winnie Pooh) on teaching (as students expect their
teachers to be organized and structured).
- "There's truth in everything but not everything is true".
* Mentions the types of personalities.
9 basic roles for people in society in relation to society.
* Nine personality types:
1. perfectionist, reformer
2. helper giver
3. performer, motivator
4. tragic romantic
5. observer, intellectual
6. loyal skeptical
7. visionary, gluttony
8. boss protector
9. mediator peacemaker
- Talks about roles (quotes Winnie Pooh, actors, horoscope, etc) in our
human every day.
* Zodiac: gives 12 roles to people in life (quotes zodiac associated to
the human body parts and goes into deep explanation/description).
- Zodiac: divides the regions of the globe into 4 cardinals and then
into the zodiacs.
* Basic association and imaginative association and memory places:
• ARIES: Head / Hollywood California, USA
• TAURUS: Throat / Costa Rica
• GEMINI: Arms / N.Y., USA
• CANCER: Breast / Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• LEO: Heart / London, England
• VIRGO: Guts, Bowels / Rome
• LIBRA: Kidneys / Meca, Saudi Arabia
• SCORPIO: Groin, Sexual organs / Bali, India
• SAGITTARIUS: Thighs / Beijing, China
• CAPRICORN: Knees / Sidney, Australia
• AQUARIUS: Calves on the legs / New Zealand
• PISCES: Feet / Honolulu, Hawaii
* Emphasize between people and their sign. How to make the memory better
and better instead of worse and worse, how to master our memory.
Human - Love - Relationship (the whole human world association and connexion).
Use these mental training for the students not to study just for the
exam they're going to take the next day (but forget in 1 year) but to
remember things for the rest of their life.
* Sky's activity: Explains he's going to make memorize 52 words using
the technics given earlier this morning.
* Sky arranges the teachers according their DOB (date of birth).
- Sky associates DOB with name and situation.
* Sky re arranges the sits of all the teachers according to their DOB
and creates the story around their name and DOB (which takes around
1.5. hours and makes everyone to participate and try to make the
name/DOB story). He creates the story for each one of the teachers making everyone participate and accomplishing teachers to remember some or most of the other teachers
names.
- Sky quotes: Paul said "live in this 3 things all the time: Love - Hope - Faith".
• LOVE is the core (as the penguins) through harmonious cooperation
• FAITH is the I trust you are feeling
• HOPE is what we expect (friendliness)
* Sky hands out the virtues cards to the (DOB/name/location arranged)
teachers and asks them to create a meaningful story using the word of
the virtue cards and they will need to present the story in a reader
script way.
- Each group goes in front of the room and reads/dramatizes their script.
When 6 signs go through, Sky made a recap with the virtues and parts
of the body and each title representation.
- Sky recaps one more time every virtue with each letter, sign and
reminding about each script/dramatization.
- Mr. Manolo has some nice words: “the best method we can teach is when you
understand we connect with humans through language/communication and
uses some of the virtues”.
- How you do things: Passion / Love / Comprehension /
* End of Day 2.
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