I love technology, so these modules about technology helped me to improve my classes. I have a small English course in my city, so I always to do my best to make my classes fun and interactive. One of the best things I learned was how to create games, especially Kahoot. (I will talk about it in the next topic.) I also adapted some activities, before we made it in the class and now we use Skype. I still need some time to change everything, I am doing it little by little to see if the students approve. I still want to learn how to use other platforms to asses my students like forums, chats, podcasts etc. But after finishing this post-graduation I will commit myself to make my English course even better.
At my English Course
2 - My collection of important materials
Here I will present how I changed my classes with the use of technology along these 3 modules.
2.2 I’m new in this world of “teaching”, I started teaching English in 2013 and in my first class I used technology. I scanned the whole book and created power point slides so those students that forgot the books at home can follow the class looking at the TV.
I rarely use the whiteboard. I created a PDF archive with the workbook so I can correct the questions direct on TV. It’s much faster to correct the activities and everybody can read since my handwriting is terrible on the whiteboard.
2.3 Now about the new tools I use in the classroom. The first that I used was Skype, here is one example of activity. In pairs the students read a text about vacation. One of the students leave the classroom and pretend to travel to another country, he/she goes to the bathroom and put some accessories like wigs, sunglasses, hats, scarfs, with a cellphone with skype he/she calls to the other student in the classroom that is using skype on the TV so the whole class can watch, then they practice the conversation and it’s very funny when the students see the other with all the accessories.
2.4 The students insist on using Whatsapp during the class, so I adapted an activity with maps, using directions, I divided the class in two groups, one stays in the class and the other go to another room. I created a group on Whatsapp. Each group send audios asking about directions: Example: is there a supermarket in your neighborhood? Group B look their map and answer: Yes, there is. Group A , Where is it? Group B, it’s on Lake Avenue, next to the bakery. And so on. They really enjoyed it.
Here they are practicing vocabulary with the letters of the alphabet.
2.5 One of the best things I learned on the module of technology was how to create games, especially Kahoot. I did it to test in one of my classes and the students loved, now they want it every class, but I decided to do it after the end of each unit to review what they learned.
Here my students review the vocabulary of clothing
https://play.kahoot.it/#/?quizId=a8e3aeea-aaa2-42f1-a0ed-d5820163ca6c
Here some print screens of the game:
The winner of the game.
2.6 One of the videos that I really liked was the one where
the British boy can spek English In 24 Accent. I showed it to my intermediate
students and they loved it.
2.7 During the
technology classes I always made print screens of the things I most
liked, one of them was about this pyramid. I totally agree with it,
especially the part who says that we learn when we teach, because when my
students ask me something that I don't know I have to research and I learn with
them.
Here
are two websites that now I use in my class.
2.8 Elllo.org is very interesting because I can find a lot of different accents and also there are games included, like in this example I used in one of my classes, where a man describes different places and the students have to match the picture he describes.
2.9 Ted.com
is also a great tool. There we can find really interesting speeches about many
things with the option of subtitles. Here is one example of speech where
Danielle Feinberg, Pixar's director of photography, talks about how she creates
stories with soul and wonder using math, science and code. She helped to
produce famous movies like Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Brave, WALL-E and more. I
will show it in my class for intermediate students.
3 - Plan
for carrying out my professional development
As I
mentioned before I have a small English course, I opened it in February 2014,
it is in a small city and my course is the only one here. For now I don't have
competition, but that doesn't mean I will not worry and accommodate myself.
That is why I chose to do this post-graduation on Ensino de lingua inglesa at
Estácio, to enhance my techniques on teaching English and learn new ways to
teach, these three modules about technology made a great difference on my
teaching skills. As I told before I am changing my classes, unit by unit I am
adding games, like Kahoot, I am using websites etc. By the end of the year I
hope to have incorporated all the new changes in the whole course. After finish
this post-graduation in June I will continue studying to improve my classes and
make it even better.
4 - My
self-assessment
I would
give myself 4,5 to my learning, I really enjoyed all the classes and absolved the
most I could. But why not 5? I am sincere, working in two schools and do
a post-graduation is not easy, so some activities in Edmodo, Pinterest, Scoop.it!
and etc. But after finishing my TCC I will review the classes and learn more
about these websites.
So this is it! Thanks teacher Cintia Rabello! Maybe I see you in other
post-graduation, and thanks to my students who agreed to participate in this
portfolio.
Here is my course Facebook page:
Here is the reason why I try to be a better teacher everyday! I love you
my students!
The end.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Ney. Wish you lots of success in your career and business!
ResponderExcluir