Professional Development for English Teachers of 21st Century Learners: Enticing ESL Students...

Professional Development f o r E n g l i s h Te a c h e r s o f 21 st C e n t u r y L e a r n e r s : E n t i c i n g E S L S t u d e n t s t o Ac q u i r e Co m m u n i c a t i ve Co m p e t e n c e t h r o u g h A r t a n d Te c h n o l o g y .

▼ Universidad de Puerto Rico Recinto de Río Piedras Facultad de Educación Centro de Investigaciones Educativas

Title: Professional Development for English Teachers of 21 st Century Learners: Enticing ESL Students to Acquire Communicative Competence through Art and Technology.

Copyright © 2016 Centro de Investigaciones Educativas Universidad de Puerto Rico Recinto de Río Piedras Facultad de Educación P.O. Box 23304 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931-3304 Project Director: Annette López de Méndez Telephone: 787-764-0000 ext. 89049/89045 Email: cie.educacion@upr.edu Web Page: http://cie.uprrp.edu Graphic Designer: Nilsa Espasas Editor: Rosemary Morales Urbina

The Project is funded (in part) by a federal Grant under the Title II of the No Child Left Behind Act. (P.L. 017-110) administered by the Puerto Rico Council of Education. Opinions and findings expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and no official endorsement by either of these agencies should be inferred.

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Resources

Administrative Personnel

Annette López de Méndez, Ed.D. – Director Elsie Candelaria Sosa, Ed.D. – Co-Director Zorivette Meléndez Serrano - Coordinator Diana Rivera Viera, Ed.D. – External Evaluator

Professors Elsie Candelaria Sosa, Ed. D. Aníbal Muñoz Claudio, Ed. D. Cristina Guerra Lozano, Ed. D. Carmen M. Torres Rivera, Ed. D. Vigimaris Nadal Ramos, Ed. D. Candidate Rosemary Morales Urbina, Ed. D. Jeannette Milland Vigio, MBA/TGMT

Arce Medero, María

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Calderón Tellado, Joann

Carballido Romero, Caridad Cardona Frontera, Nancy Colón Martínez, Jane M. Cuevas, Lilliam Chittenden, Christine Díaz Díaz, Gil J. Duprey, Elizabeth Ejiofor Chima, Patricia Fonseca Benabe, Amarilys García Velasco, Ilda

Project Participants

Escuela Carlos Orama - Bayamon

Escuela Tomás Ongay - Bayamon Escuela El Señorial - San Juan

Escuela Vocacional Miguel Such - San Juan Escuela Elemental Manual A. Perez - San Juan Escuela Vocacional Miguel Such - San Juan St. Mary’s School - San Juan Escuela SU Sanamuertos - Orocovis Escuela Albert Einstein - Santurce Escuela Pachín Marín - Hato Rey Escuela Superior Berwind - Río Piedras Escuela Central de Artes - Santurce

Hernández Robles, Emus R.

Commonwealth Parkville School - San Juan,

Marrero Huertas, Lillian

Escuela SU Alfredo Bocachica León - Villalba

Marrero Santiago, Jermarie

Escuela Luz América Calderón - Carolina

Muñiz Cotté, Roxanna

Escuela Juan Román Ocasio - Guaynabo

Ortega Acevedo, Lackmy

Saint Monica Bilingual School - San Juan

Planadeball Navarro, Sherly Ann

Las Mareas Bilingual School - Salinas

Rivera, Penélope

Commonwealth Parkville School - San Juan

Rodríguez Andino, Ilia S.

Escuela Vocacional Miguel Such - San Juan

Torres, Adriana N. Vélez, Nedinia L.

Academia María Reina - San Juan Robinson School - San Juan

Vera Molina, Carmen

Escuela Juan B. Huyke - San Juan

Wong Piñeiro, Jorge

Padre Rufo Bilingual School - San Juan

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Content

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Prologue Annette López de Méndez, Ed.D.

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The 21st Century Skills Elsie Candelaria Sosa, Ed.D.

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PR ESL Teachers’ at the Resilience Forefront!

Academic Resilience to Endure School Uncertainties and Political Whims Aníbal Muñoz Claudio, Ed.D.

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PBL from Theory to Practice Cristina Guerra, Ed. D

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Societal Bilingualism and Culturally Relevant Literature Carmen M. Torres Rivera, Ed.D.

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The Hour of Code and the ESL Classroom Rosemary Morales Urbina, Ed. D.

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Reflections on Teaching Teachers Vigimaris Nadal Ramos, Ed. D. Candidate Participants’ Contributions

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Investing in Our Future by Investing in Our Teachers Elenita Irizarry Ramos, Ed.D Student Lesson Plans

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Lesson Planning as a 21st Century Skill Valeria Del Valle MA, Student

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Lesson Plan 1: Acquisition of Communicative Competence Through Art, Technology (1st Grade) Gil Díaz Díaz

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Lesson Plan 2: Believe You Can (4th Grade) Caridad Carballido Romero

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Lesson Plan 3: Being Puerto Rican Through Folktales (7th Grade) Ilda García Velasco

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Lesson Plan 4: Being Puerto Rican through Folktales (7th Grade) Lillian Marrero Huertas

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Lesson Plan 5: My Book of Poems (7th Grade) Sherly Ann Planadeball

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Lesson Plan 6: Flat Stanley Journal (7th & 8th grade) Patricia Ejiofor & Roxana Muñiz

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Lesson Plan 7: Virtual Museum (9th Grade) Christine Chittenden Rodríguez

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Lesson Plan 8: Conflict (10th grade) Nancy Cardona Frontera, Lilliam Cuevas Negrón & Ilia S. Rodríguez Andino

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Lesson Plan 9: Personal Memoirs (11th grade) Nancy Cardona Frontera, Lilliam Cuevas Negrón & Ilia S. Rodríguez Andino

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Lesson Plan 10: Transcendentalism (11th grade) Nedinia Velez

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Lesson Plan 11: Discovering My Neighborhood (11th Grade) Elizabeth Duprey & Maria Arce

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Lesson Plan 12: Biographies and Autobiographies (12th Grade) Nancy Cardona Frontera, Lilliam Cuevas Negrón & Ilia S. Rodríguez Andino Reflections

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The Value of Engaging in Reflection Angélica Cortés M.A. Candidate

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Sowing the Seed of Innovation Within a Harsh Environment to Reap Creative Thinkers Joann M. Calderón Tellado

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When is “too much too little and too little too much”?

Emus Hernández Robles

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Teaching Problem Based Learning (PBL) using art and drama Amarilys Fonseca Benabe

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The Seedling Miracle Jane Colón Martínez

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The Art of Teaching Christine Chittenden Rodríguez

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My experience at the UPR Adriana N. Torres Pastrana

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My Experience during the 2015 Professional Development for English Teachers Project from the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus Penélope Rivera Rivera

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Prologue

The Professional Development for English Teachers of 21st Century Learners: Enticing ESL students to Acquire Communicative Competence though Art and Technology was sponsored by a grant from the Puerto Rico Council on Education, the No Child Left Behind Act, and Title II Funds (NCLB –14-05). The purpose of this Project is to offer a professional training program to teachers of English that will enable them to understand and serve the needs of modern society and the 21st Century children they serve. It responds to the urgent need of both public and private schools in the San Juan Region, allowing teachers to update their knowledge regarding the latest developments in language teaching and learning as identified by recent research.

Thus, the Project envisioned the following goals:

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• Achieve a high caliber, competent educator that can implement teaching strategies pertinent to the educational growth of 21st Century learners.

• Facilitate the professional development of 25 teachers in the areas of defining 21st Century skills, integrating the arts (music, poetry, theater, creative writing, visual arts, and museum resources), technology (videos, web applications, cellular phones, and digital cameras) and teaching strategies (problem based learning, cooperative learning) that will enrich the English Curriculum, develop innovative learning communities, and enhance learners’ academic achievement.

• Promote and disseminate participants’ lesson plans through the design of curricular matrices based on standards of excellence.

In order to achieve these goals, the Project recruited 25 teachers from the private and public school systems in the San Juan Region. In the selection of schools, fifteen teachers came from public schools in San Juan, Carolina, Bayamón, and Guaynabo and three teachers came from public schools in the towns of Orocovis, Salinas, and Villalba. These teachers learned about the project through a friend and made their argument to be accepted in the Project. The most pressing argument that convinced us was the limited access they had to professional development activities. The six participating teachers representing the private sector came from Academia María Reina, Commonwealth Parkville School, Robinson School, Saint Mary’s School, and Saint Monica Bilingual School. We are deeply grateful to all participating teachers and their schools for their interest, devoted attendance, and opening their school doors to facilitate the implementation of the teaching strategies learned during the Project.

The project was envisioned as a collaboration among different stakeholders: (a) Puerto Rico Department of Education English Program, (b) University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, College of Education, (c) University of Puerto Rico, Humacao Campus, English Department Faculty, and (d) Puerto Rico Teachers of English To Speakers of Other Languages (PRTESOL). All training sessions were

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offered at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, College of Education. We are highly grateful to Prof. Beatriz Philpott Pérez, director of the English Program at the Puerto Rico Department of Education, for her collaboration, encouragement, and support to continue with this initiative.

Instructional Program The instructional program was designed as an intensive workshop, of 119 hours of professional development, distributed in a 3-week summer workshop (June 8-26, 2015) and Saturdays during the first semester of the 2015-16 academic year (August 22 - December 12, 2015). Two follow-up visits included 12 participants. The first visit was made during the period of the first academic semester (August to December, 2015) with the intention to learn about the contextual factors, participants’ school community and classroom setting, and provide guidance on how to plan for the implementation of the learned teaching strategies. The second visit was made during the second academic semester (January to March, 2016) with the purpose of observing a model lesson that would demonstrate the way they integrated art and technology, among other teaching strategies learned during the workshops. Some of the teaching plans used by the teachers and demonstrated during the school visit are included in this publication.

Guiding Principles

poetry

The Project was based on the premise that the use of different approaches to prompt teachers’ and students’ awareness in the development of linguistic and communicative competence and language proficiency is required for effective communication. Researchers in the areas of linguistics, sociology, psychology, and education such as Brown (2001, 2007), Crystal (1997, 2004), Dodge (1998), Ginn (1999), Guerra and Shutz (1999), Rassias (1998), Taber (2008), Wesch (2010), Wiles and Bondi (2010), and Zapel (1999) advocate the use of visual and performing arts, technology, and recent assessment strategies in the development of communicative competence. This Project reaffirms the following postulates: • The use of different approaches and strategies contribute to better, gratifying, and faster acquisition and learning of a language. This is accomplished through the integration of poetry, drama, movies, music, and the radio to the teaching lessons.

• Observing and thinking about art and poetry triggers in the individual the interpretation of the messages artists and writers intend to convey. This, in turn, stimulates critical thinking, creativity, and the construction and interpretation of meaning.

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• The use of problem based learning, concept development, cooperative learning, technology, and Understanding by Design (UBD) for the creation of digital stories, blogs, and chatrooms contribute to the exploration and understanding of concepts. These strategies nurture the development of skills needed to function in the 21st Century.

• The integration of different subject areas develops cognitive abilities, problem resolution, understanding and tolerance for divergent opinions, which are essential to the development of critical thinking skills.

• The effective educator understands the importance of assessment and the need to combine evaluation and assessment strategies in the appraisal of student learning outcomes.

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chatrooms

Workshop Topics In light of the Project guiding principles, the following strategies were used to foster the professional development of participating teachers:

• Workshops on 21st Century skills and assessment. These skills, as well as the integration of cooperative learning, problem-based learning, and UBD, among others, were explored for the teaching of ESL. These workshops acquainted participating teachers with diverse strategies geared to foster the integration of standards of excellence, PR Common Core English Standards, and English Language Arts. The workshops also included other topics, such as planning, innovative curricular design, interdisciplinary teaching, English standards and expectations, curricular maps, and instructional matrixes, where technology and assessment were incorporated, along with lessons that illustrated this integration.

• Workshops on the assessment of 21st Century learning skills. The Project recognizes the relevance and importance of assessing the strengths and weaknesses of ESL learners before planning the teaching-learning process. Hence, participating teachers were presented with innovative ways to determine the knowledge, skills, and dispositions students bring to school as part of their life experiences outside school. Participants were enticed to move from measuring discrete knowledge to measuring students’ ability to think critically, examine problems, gather information, and make informed, reasoned decisions while using technology. In the workshops, assessment strategies for the evaluation of oral communication, reading comprehension, and written communication in the 21st Century were presented.

• Lectures and workshops regarding art, music, poetry, and drama. The Project offered the participating teachers a series of lectures in the areas of the visual and performing arts as cues for speaking and writing production; poetry for the enjoyment of literature through figurative language, in addition to drama for the enhancement of oral communication. Through these lectures and workshops, participating teachers had practical and real experiences directed towards the fostering of appreciation of creativity, development of sensitivity, and understanding of the relationship of the areas studied and the teaching of English. Similarly, participating teachers had the opportunity to reflect about values and culture. Furthermore, the Project promoted the development of the necessary competencies to implement a creative agenda to enable students to express themselves freely, thus enhancing critical thinking, digital literacy, self-esteem, perseverance, and motivation.

• Visit to the museum. Participating teachers had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Art, Anthropology, and History at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. This experience enabled participants to be familiarized with artistic creativity, appreciate art, explore the value of art from the social and cultural dimensions, besides learning how art is a means of expression that strengthens and enhances personal and collective self-respect.

• Workshops on the production of digital stories and the creation of blogs. The workshops on the production of digital stories and the creation of blogs and chatrooms enabled participating teachers to explore technology as a means of expression (speaking and writing). These workshops allowed participants to understand technological science as an everyday instrument, which can be easily learned and utilized to express ideas, develop new visions, and explore new concepts.

Digital art sources promote integration of subjects and skills to new and challenging experiences,

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movies

thus enabling participating teachers and their students to develop the capacity to inquire, identify, and solve problems, invent, and create. At the same time, digital stories, blogs, and chat-rooms were presented as a means of expression that foster speaking, reading, and writing competencies, enticing the student to connect reality to visual images and creative oral and written expression.

Participating teachers had the opportunity to create and develop digital stories, blogs and chatrooms with the purpose of maximizing their students’ academic achievement.

• Workshops on movies as a source of idiomatic expressions and the use of radio for listening comprehension.

These workshops were directed towards the recognition of the importance of individual differences among students. There are many approaches and techniques that can be used to better serve the needs and learning styles of students. These workshops provided participating teachers basic tools to adapt and differentiate the teaching-learning process. Movies and the radio were used to present the participants simple strategies that would help ESL learners identify and understand idiomatic expressions for listening comprehension. The goal was to develop phonemic awareness and communicative competence.

music

• Workshops on the use of music for language production through writing. In these workshops, emphasis was placed on creative writing and its relation to music as well as the satisfaction and joy that can be experienced with the production of language. Workshops included models and strategies used to foster student creativity and the use of music to stimulate the writing expression in learners. Similarly, alternative strategies to teach writing were presented to participants. The main goal was to awaken participating teachers’ thinking about alternate and holistic strategies to motivate and get learners interested in writing. Moreover, the calendar of lectures and workshops included poetry, drama, music, movies, the radio, and technology to illustrate the integration of different disciplines in the development of the language arts for communicative competence.

• Workshops related to planning and lesson development for oral communication, reading comprehension, and written communication. The effect of planned instruction increases the probability of successful achievement of goals. The concept of strategically planned instruction was introduced in order to consider a series of events that affect the learner. It is assumed that innovative and well-planned lessons will facilitate learning. The purpose of planned instruction is to develop an organized system to promote learning, which will create change in the behavior of people. This way the teaching-learning process will not only propitiate the development of the affective level and human values, but also reinforce 21st Century citizenship skills.

The follow-up visits promoted conversations with participating teachers to discuss the challenges the school context presents and the possibilities of integrating the teachers’ experiences in the Project to their daily classes. Besides, the professional resources of the Project served to monitor the implementation and provide guidance and mentorship to participating teachers. The school visits helped to support, observe, motivate, and offer feedback to participating teachers in the implementation of the new learned strategies into their teaching. The visits also helped secure the teachers’ planning and adaptation of the program of study to stimulate students’ learning.

The Product: The Teachers’ Manual During the Project, time was allocated in order to provide participants the opportunity to work in groups, reflect about their learning, and write lesson plans. The faculty was also requested to write an article or reflection that captured the most important concepts and ideas presented in their workshop and

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the latest trends in the teaching of ESL. The writings were grouped in the manual in three sections, the faculty’s articles, the lesson plans, and the participants’ reflections. This creative effort, captured in this manual, celebrates the journey of learning, long hours of walking on a sea of innovations and ideas that contribute to renovate and inspire teachers to “do what is right” in their classroom. Thus, the manual should be seen as a “labor of love” dedicated to those teachers that can and will make a difference by putting into practice the 21st Century skills explored during the training sessions.

The first section opens with Dr. Elsie Candelaria’s account of the 21st Century skills. She makes us aware in her article that in spite of the lack of consensus that exists regarding what are and should be the necessary skills for the 21st Century, there is a common core of skills that all students should learn. She assures that no matter which framework we use, it is important to provide quality education to all students. This requires a reconceptualization of the school goals, the curriculum, the assessment practices, as well as developing a strong professional development program for teachers.

Dr. Aníbal Muñoz addresses the issue of PR ESL teachers’ resilience. His arguments are based on an analysis of Dr. Edwin Meléndez’ article titled, ¿El Puertorriqueño Es Vago? In the article, evidence is provided to support the idea that contrary to being lazy, Puerto Ricans are resilient hard working people.

He then questions if ESL teachers are resilient and capable of instilling the hard working mentality that characterize Puerto Ricans. A section that describes the reality of the Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE), one that is composed of a myriad of multiple dilemmas, policy, and curricular changes, considers this question. These arguments lead readers to think that ESL teachers cannot survive without having a dose of resilience. He affirms resilient teachers do exist and lists a series of dispositions that are visible and present in them. Thus, these teachers are the ones that will rise in the 21st Century. They are the ones that will require the necessary knowledge, skills and dispositions that will enable them to cope with the PRDE dilemmas, problems, and lack of curricular consistency. He ends the article by asking us to reflect on the question, what would happen to Puerto Rico if 70% of our schoolteachers would have a strong resilient attitude?

radio

Dr. Cristina Guerra’s article seems to reaffirm Dr. Anibal Muñoz’ ESL teachers’ resilience argument. She begins by providing the reader the definition and characteristics of PBL (Problem Based Learning and Project Based Learning) and presenting PBL as “two wings from the same bird”, a translation of a common Puerto Rican expression, “dos alas de un mismo pájaro.” She skillfully presents a list of necessary skills for the 21st Century and explains briefly how these are present in PBL. Aware of the elements that characterize PBL, Dr. Guerra alerts the reader about those considerations one needs to attend in order to implement this strategy in the classroom. She closes with an invitation to visit classrooms and teachers from the PRDE and see PBL with a “Puerto Rican flavor.”

Dr. Carmen Torres supports the idea of using technology to enhance and provide access to ESL students to Puerto Rican classical books in her article. Her review of the book, A Century of Puerto Rican Children’s Literature (1987) by Flor Piñero de Rivera, highlights the rich literary tradition of Puerto Rican folkloric tales. She argues that even when these publications go back to almost thirty years, their content should not be ignored, and advocates for the integration of these books in the curriculum so they can be made available to young and old alike. Dr. Torres states that twenty-seven years after the publication of Piñero de Rivera’s book, there is a lack of access to Afro-Puerto Rican literature and exposition to the classic examples of Puerto Rican literature. The invisibility of this literature worsens due to the lack of inclusion of these titles in the curriculum and lack of resources and interest to publish them. She affirms that after 1970, people almost lost track of the publications of Puerto Rican children’s books and establishes the importance of using the available technological tools, such as online book stores,

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drama

bibliographies created by librarians at the UPR system, and other collections to remedy the problem. This will serve as a starting point to awake and cultivate the educators’ interest in Puerto Rican literature. This is specially necessary for English teachers, since integrating Puerto Rican literature to the ESL curriculum will benefit ESL learners by instilling in them a high sense of identity and cultural appreciation.

Dr. Rosemary Morales provides a fresh view of how to incorporate new ideas related to coding and the use of technology in the ESL classroom. Her article makes us look forward and think about the next era, reminding us that the students we prepare today will face a different reality that will require not only 21st Century skills, but also a great deal of inventiveness in learning to program a computer, create games, and have fun while doing it. She makes a parallelism between learning to code and learning a second language and promotes in the reader a sense of wondering about the complexity and simplicity of both coding and learning. The reader will find in the article a refreshing view to the challenges teachers face in the 21st Century.

The faculty section closes with a short reflection written by Prof. Vigimaris Nadal of her first experience in teaching teachers. She presents her thoughts in a day-by-day journal, providing the reader a glimpse of her perception of the Project. She describes the workshops as a hands-on experience, where teachers had the opportunity to openly express themselves artistically. Her reflections remind us of the possibility the workshops content offer teachers to be creative and make teaching more engaging for students. She ends the article by expressing her admiration for the passion teachers have toward teaching.

The participants’ section opens with an introduction that enhances the contribution teachers make through their hard work. This is followed by a series of lesson plans prepared by participating teachers. Some of the lessons are short and graphic showing a glimpse at how teachers were able to put in practice what they learned. Other lessons are more elaborate and demonstrate the creativity and intellectual work needed and that characterize the exercise of lesson planning. The manual ends with a section entitled “The Value of Reflection”, reminding us of the importance of providing time to express our frustrations, questions, and ideas. Probably, this was one of the most interesting results of the Project.

Reading the participants’ reflections, one becomes aware of the complexities of teaching, as well as the challenges it poses to teachers as professionals. Thus, one realizes how crucial it is for teachers to devote time to develop and enrich their intellectual capacity, as well as cultivate their emotional strength and resilience.

The understanding that I am not alone, that we as a group can make a difference, instill and inspire teachers to continue working toward a better world. It also reaffirms their dedication, passion, and love to make the best for their students. The Project provided the space and nurtured their commitment to continue offering the best of their mind, heart, and soul in the teaching and learning of ESL. There are no words to express the respect the Project faculty has for all participating teachers. We thank them for reaffirming that teaching is a noble calling that contributes to the betterment of society.

Annette López de Méndez, Ed. D. Project Director

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References Brown, H.D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (2 nd. ed.).

White Plains, NY: Longman.

Brown, H.D. (2007). Principles of language learning and teaching (4 th. ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman.

Crystal, D. (1977). English as global language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Crystal, D. (2004). The language revolution. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Dodge, D. (1998). Creative drama in the second language classroom: Action Research. Retrieved from http://educ.queensu.ca/~ar/11drama.htm Ginn, W.Y. (1999). Jean Piaget-Intellectural development. Retrieved from http://english.sk.com.br/sk-piage.html Guerra, C., & Shutz, R. (1999). Vygotsky. Retrieved from http://english.sk.com.br/sk-vygoy.html Rassias Foundation. (1998). Language in action: A proďŹ le of Professor Rassias. Retrieved from http://Dartmouth.edu/arsci/rassias/JAR.html Taber, J. (2008). A brief history of ESC instruction: Theories, methodologies, upheavels [Web page] Retrieved from http://papersbyjoantaber.blogspot.como/2005/05/brief-history-of-esl-instruction.html Wesch, M. (2010). Web 2.0 and new viral communities. Welcome to 21st Century Schools. [Web page].

Retrieved from http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/index.htlm Wiles, J., & Bondi, J. (2010). Curriculum development: A guide to practice. White Plains, NY: Longman Pearson.

Zapel, A.L. (Ed.). (1999). 1999-2000 Theater, drama, and speech resources. Catalog #144. Colorado, Springs, CO: Meriwether Publishing.

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21st Century Skills Elsie Candelaria, Ed.D

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The illiterate of the 21st Century are not those that cannot read or write, but those that cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. —Alvin Toffler

According to Rice (2011), to enter the 21st century workforce students need a new set of skills.

These skills are different to what a student entering the workforce in the 90’s needed to possess, since at the time 95 percent of jobs only required employees to follow basic procedures. In the 21st century new employees have to be able to understand new technologies, processes, and concepts; many of which did not exist just a few years earlier. Furthermore, Darling-Hammond and Barron (2008) note that “Education must help students learn how to learn in powerful ways, so they can manage the demands of changing information, technologies, jobs, and social conditions” (p. 2). Although there is still a lack of consensus concerning exactly what these skills are and what the definition of 21st century skills should include, I will present some of the better known alternatives.

According to Boix-Mansilla and Jackson (2011) from the Asia Society and Council of Chief State School Officers, students in the 21st century need a substantive understanding of the world, [since it] is the foundation of global competence. Students demonstrate global competence through awareness and curiosity about how the world works—informed by disciplinary and interdisciplinary insights.

Specifically, globally competent students are able to perform the following four competences: 1. Investigate the world beyond their immediate environment, framing significant problems and conducting well-crafted and age-appropriate research.

2. Recognize perspectives, others’ and their own, articulating and explaining such perspectives thoughtfully and respectfully.

3. Communicate ideas effectively with diverse audiences, bridging geographic, linguistic, ideological, and cultural barriers.

4. Take action to improve conditions, viewing themselves as players in the world and participating reflectively (p.11).

These authors also feel that “students engage in deep learning when they find internal motivation to do their schoolwork—when they come to “own” the questions that guide their investigation of the world through core educational concepts (Boix-Mansilla & Jackson, 2011, p. 18).

The concepts mentioned by the Asia Society are not too distant from the interpretation presented by the National Research Council’s (NRC) Committee on Defining Deeper Learning and 21st Century Skills when they state that they view 21st century skills as knowledge that can be transferred or applied in new situations. This transferable knowledge includes both content knowledge in a domain and also procedural knowledge of how, why, and when to apply this knowledge to answer questions and solve problems (National Research Council, 2012, p. 23).

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Cognitive and non-cognitive skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, effective communication, motivation, persistence, and learning to learn are part of what deeper learning and 21st century skills are all about according to this Committee. Creativity, innovation, and ethics are also key essentials to college and career success.

The North Central Regional Educational Laboratory and the Metiri Group (2003) present another set of skills within the 21st century framework, based on the very real situation that “today’s children are “growing up digital.” Their view of the world is very different from that of adults, thanks to unprecedented access to information, people, and ideas across highly interactive media” (p. 6). They propose four skills clusters: Digital-Age Literacy • Basic, scientific, economic, and technological literacies • Visual and information literacies • Multicultural literacy and global awareness Inventive Thinking • Adaptability and managing complexity • Self-direction • Curiosity, creativity, and risk taking • Higher-order thinking and sound reasoning Effective Communication • Teaming, collaboration, and interpersonal skills • Personal, social, and civic responsibility • Interactive communication High Productivity • Prioritizing, planning, and managing for results • Effective use of real-world tools • Ability to produce relevant, high-quality products (p. 10).

Furthermore, the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory and the Metiri Group (2003) state that “these 21st Century Skills should be considered within the context of rigorous academic standards. They are a bridge to authentic, intellectually challenging work by students” (p. 5). It should be pointed out that these clusters have a lot in common with the definitions proposed by both the Asia Society and the NRC.

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The Assessment and Teaching of 21 Century Skills (AT21CS) consortium, which includes Australia, Finland, Portugal, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States, organizes 21st century skills, knowledge, attitudes, values, and ethics into the following four categories (Saavedra & Opfer, 2012): 1. Ways of Thinking: creativity and innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, and learning to learn (or metacognition).

2. Ways of Working: communication and teamwork.

3. Tools for Working: general knowledge and information communication technology (ICT) literacy.

4. Living in the World: citizenship, life and career, and personal and social responsibility, including cultural awareness and competence.

Another deďŹ nition that is quite well-known is the one developed by The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (www.21stcenturyskills.com). This organization has developed a framework for 21st century learning that mentions the skills that students need in order to successfully engage today’s global economy.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a coalition bringing together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers; it advocates the integration of skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and communication into the teaching of core academic subjects such as English, reading or language arts, world languages, arts, mathematics, economics, science, geography, history, government, and civics.

The top part of the rainbow appearing in Figure 1 represent the 21st century student outcomes that can provide the knowledge, skills, and expertise students need to master in order to succeed in work and life in the 21st century. Mastery of core subjects and 21st century themes is essential for all students.

Core subjects include:

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• English, reading or language arts • World languages • Arts • Mathematics • Economics • Science • Geography • History • Government and Civics In addition to these subjects, schools must also promote understanding of academic content at much higher levels by weaving what the framework identifies as “21st century interdisciplinary themes” (The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009, p. 2) into the core subjects. These themes are: Global Awareness, Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy, Civic Literacy, Health Literacy, Environmental Literacy The Partnership defines learning and innovation skills with the 4 C’s and states that these characteristics separate students who are prepared for a more and more complex life and work environments in the 21st century from those that are not. “A focus on creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration is essential to prepare students for the future” (The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009, p. 3).

People in the 21st century live in a technology and media-suffused environment, “marked by various characteristics, including: 1) access to an abundance of information, 2) rapid changes in technology tools, and 3) the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions on an unprecedented scale” (The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009, p. 5). Effective citizens and workers of the 21st century must be able to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills related to information, media, and technology.

There is no doubt that this century will continue the trend established by the second half of the 20th century: fast-paced, continuous advances in all fields of knowledge. The need for a new set of skills is unquestionable. Thus, no matter which of the aforementioned definitions we chose to embrace, it is obvious that we have to change in order to ensure that the idea of “21st century skills”—or more precisely, the effort to ensure that all students, rather than just a privileged few, have access to a rich education that intentionally helps them learn these skills—is successful in improving schools. That effort requires three primary components. First, educators and policymakers must ensure that the instructional program is complete and that content is not shortchanged for an ephemeral pursuit of skills. Second, states, school districts, and schools need to revamp how they think about human capital in education—in particular how teachers are trained. Finally, we need new assessments that can accurately measure richer learning and more complex tasks. (Rotherham & Willingham, 2009, p. 18).

Thus, if an effective 21st century educational reform is to be successful, educational leaders need to understand that it will require a complete reconceptualization of what schools are meant to achieve.

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Curriculum, teacher expertise, and assessment have always been an essential part of any attempt to improve education. Thus, we need to develop a 21st century curriculum, a 21st century assessment framework, and an aggressive professional development program for teachers.

References Boix-Mansilla, V. & Jackson, A. (2011). Educating for global competence: Preparing our youth to engage in the world. New York, NY: Asia Society.

Darling-Hammond, L. & Barron, B. (2008). Teaching for meaningful learning: A review of research on inquiry-based and cooperative learning. In Powerful Learning. San Franciso, CA: Jossey-Bass.

National Research Council. (2012). Education for life and work: Developing transferable knowledge and skills in the 21st century.

Committee on DeďŹ ning Deeper Learning and 21st Century Skills, J.W. Pellegrino and M.L. Hilton, Editors. Board on Testing and Assessment and Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.

Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory & The Metiri Group (2003). enGauge 21st century skills: Literacy in the digital age.

Naperville, IL, and Los Angeles: Authors.

Rotherham, A. J., & Willingham, D. (2009). 21st century skills: The challenges ahead. Educational Leadership, 67(1), 16-21.

Saavedra, A. N. & Opfer, V. D. (2012). Teaching and learning 21st century skills: Lessons from the learning sciences. Rand Corporation.

Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP51105.html The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2009). P21 framework deďŹ nitions. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/ P21_Framework_Def

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PR ESL Teachers’ at the Resilience Forefront! : Academic Resilience to Endure School Uncertainties and Political Whims Aníbal Muñoz Claudio, Ed.D.

In his article titled ¿El Puertorriqueño Es Vago? (November 7, 2014), Dr. Edwin Meléndez, Director of the Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños at Hunter College, New York, contextualized a new striking reality for all Puerto Ricans. He proved that Puerto Ricans were no longer considered the laziest group of people in United States. The stigma, the stereotyping, and the profiling were all gone by now. Puerto Ricans had become the new resilient work force in the United States. As Dr. Meléndez began unveiling this forthright information before an enthusiastic audience at UPR-Humacao (November 13, 2014), he elaborated on the details of his latest book, Puerto Ricans at the Dawn of the New Millennium (2014). That day Dr. Meléndez was ready to dazzle everyone as he revealed a list of indicators that highlighted how Puerto Ricans had surpassed African Americans, Asians, Whites, and other Latin-American groups when looking for job opportunities all over the US. In a thorough data-driven study, he explained how Puerto Ricans were more willingly than anyone to move from state to state to find better job opportunities and to increase their social mobility. The author explained how Puerto Ricans had been more eager to take training courses or to take other jobs unrelated to their preparation, how they had been zealous to take job-hunting classes to augment their work competitiveness, how they had attended more job fairs and searched for online jobs more than any other group, and many more statistics that proved how Puerto Ricans had finally gotten over the hump of laziness.

Nevertheless, amidst the lecturer’s flattering tone, Dr. Meléndez reminded everyone about two worrying aspects before concluding with his strong-willed invitation to all present. He reminded all students, that even though Puerto Ricans had sharpened their strategies to augment their social mobility and job competitiveness, they were still obtaining lesser-paid jobs. In addition, unemployment rates were still very high for Puerto Ricans when compared to other groups. As Dr. Meléndez clarified, no matter how many job affairs attended or online jobs searches were made, if Puerto Ricans did not have the required credentials such as professional studies, diplomas, licenses, certifications, skills, competencies, etc., they would not qualify for those job opportunities. Hence, Dr. Edwin Meléndez eagerly invited everyone that in the middle of this economic crisis, there was no other way to fight it better than by assuming a strong resilient mindset, and to become “un luchador” in order to be able to qualify for job

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opportunities. In his last remarks, he told everyone that resilience involved sacrifice, rigorous studying, training, hard work, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. It was at this point, when I began to make connections about the concept of this Puerto Ricans’ resilience and its possible genesis. I began thinking about our own students in the Puerto Rico School System and about the kind of teachers who work at those schools. For my purposes, I was only thinking about my ESL teaching colleagues. Are they resilient teachers themselves? Are they resilient enough to instill such a mindset into our future generation of students? For how long can ESL teachers remain resilient in our unstable educational system?

Puerto Rico Department of Education Dilemmas To set matters in the right perspective and in order to understand how resilient these educators must be, let us examine the myriad of changes the Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE) has undergone in the past five years (2010-2015). A glimpse at these changes, prompted mostly by political whims, clearly reveals the level of endurance and bravery teachers must have gone through in order to survive and continue forward.

From 2010 to 2015, the PRDE has created and implemented nearly 140 new policy letters (PLs) that have impacted teachers at all levels. Many of those PLs have had a significant impact upon English teachers. To begin with, just when ESL teachers were getting used to the former English Program Content Standards and Grade Level Expectations (2007), a new change came about in the form of the new English Program-Puerto Rico Core Standards (PRCS) titled, A path towards the construction of a new educational paradigm (2014). Those changes along with the implementation of the new Curricular Maps (planes de unidad y guías de currículo (2013) have forced ESL teachers to rethink and restructure their planning procedures and strategies. To top things off, in a very short two-year span, the PRDE has come up with two new PLs regarding planning procedures as implemented in PL 14-2013-214 and PL 1-2015-2016 (Políticas públicas sobre la planificación del aprendizaje) respectively. In addition to the new planning procedure letters, ESL teachers have witnessed two additional changes in their own English Program by means of PL-11-20112012, and PL-8-2013-2014 (Política pública sobre el contenido curricular del Programa de Inglés para todas las escuelas públicas elementales, intermedias y superiores). All of these educational shifts have not occurred in isolation; therefore, ESL teachers have been forced to attend recurrent PRDE orientations in order to learn about the new changes that will most likely change the year after. Many teachers have argued that in some of these orientations, the PRDE resources are not even informed with the latest material or in other cases, they are rather unprepared to deliver the presentations.

Yet, ESL teachers not only have had to endure PRDE changes related to the English Program. On top of that, there have been other PRDE changes in policies that have impacted the life of teachers such as PL-36-2013-2014 (Política pública sobre la reubicación de personal docente por la consolidación y reorganización de planteles escolares). This public policy has propelled a nerve-racking status among all non-tenured teachers who are never certain of where they will end up teaching the next year. As if that was not enough, the PRDE has launched a new transformation proposal for the classification of schools in the form of a Flexibility Plan (June 10, 2015) which has reclassified school categories into Reward Schools, Priority Schools, and Focus Schools (PL-05-2014-2015). This shift in PRDE’s organizational paradigm has brought many changes including the new teachers’ evaluation system in which 20% of such evaluation will depend on students’ performance on the new META PR standardized tests (replacement of the former Pruebas Puertorriqueñas de Aprovechamiento Académico, PPAA). These changes, as delineated by

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PRDE, are all geared towards improving students’ academic achievement. However, they bring about direct implications for teachers who need to upgrade their academic profile in order to fulfill the PRDE’s expectations of being Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) and to meet the 21st century teachers’ profile.

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ESL Resilience

Amid PRDE’s recent turmoil, resilient teachers still exist today! They fit the so-called 21st century profile by far! I attest to have witnessed and met hundreds of them. They are some of the finest English teachers working for the Department of Education of Puerto Rico and for some private schools as well.

These colleagues have understood and exemplified very well what Dr. Meléndez resilience call is all about. Beyond fulfilling their due diligence of carrying out effective classes, I believe that those teachers who engage in most of the following 15 professional dispositions could be considered resilient HQT teachers.

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Constructive criticism – ESL resilient teachers are not only willing to denounce school problems, but they rather assume leadership skills to provide solutions to them. Resilient teachers usually don’t mind taking sides. They either support administrative decisions or colleagues as far as those decisions will benefit the Institution at-large.

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Graduate studies – ESL resilient teachers are never satisfied with a BA degree. In their quest to update/upgrade themselves, many pursue graduate studies all the way to doctoral degrees.

In most cases, graduate studies open doors of success for ESL resilient teachers who will, eventually, find better job opportunities in other teaching positions at higher levels and at more prestigious institutions or in administrative positions. These new job opportunities usually reward resilience with better job conditions, salaries, and fringe benefits. They also offer a unique opportunity for ESL resilient teachers to be part of decision-making processes at many levels where they will no longer be the mere recipients and workers of the curriculum.

• Cooperating teachers – ESL resilient teachers value the need to help and train young teacher candidates as well as collaborate with Higher Education Institutions. Consequently, they quickly embrace the idea of becoming cooperating teachers themselves.

• Attending Workshops, Seminars, and continuous education –ESL resilient teachers are constantly attending workshops, seminars, and other professional training that would allow them to grow professionally and stay abreast with the latest content knowledge related to their field.

• Presenters – ESL resilient teachers are eager to become presenters at academic forums. The need and satisfaction to share their work (teaching strategies, research, studies, etc.) with others becomes an innate reward for resilient teachers.

• Leaders – ESL resilient teachers promote leadership skills by creating school clubs and school organizations, such as English clubs, writing clubs, drama clubs, Spelling Bee clubs, poetry clubs, and many others. These school organizations not only guide students toward joining broader school associate ions, but also strengthen students’ academic achievement, and provide ESL teachers with opportunities to enliven their teaching experiences and develop strong bonds with many school community members. Besides clubs and organizations, ESL resilient teachers

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are leaders by organizing/hosting school academic contests and other extracurricular activities, such as English Week festivals, Spelling Bee contests, writing competitions, plays, and other special presentations.

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Writing proposals – ESL resilient teachers strive to support their school communities by writing proposals to seek external funds for their institutions. Nothing is more empowering and rewarding for teachers than to discover they can contribute financially to the success of their students and school communities. ESL resilient teachers understand the need to upgrade their classroom environments and seek ways to augment their technological equipment in terms of computer software, licenses, internet coverage, as well as other resources for the their classroom, such as textbooks, working tables, electronic devices, and others. In some cases, teachers have been granted funds for the construction of laboratories or similar spaces to complement their regular classroom experience.

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Professional associations – ESL resilient teachers join and assume leadership roles in professional associations related to their field to advance ideas and to build and strengthen alliances with their schools, such with organizations such as PRTESOL at-large and its Regional chapters, professional writing associations, professional teachers’ associations, and even local community associations (community councils, sport-related associations, non-profit organizations, among others) that allow ESL resilient teachers to assume leadership roles and exercise their decisionmaking skills.

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School committees – ESL resilient teachers actively participate and even preside school committees (school council, discipline committee, interdisciplinary teams, and others). Resilient teachers are eager to be part of the decision-makers team.

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Publishers – ESL resilient teachers write articles in academic magazines or publish blogs & webpages in academic magazines, online sources, or other venues.

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Research – ESL resilient teachers conduct ongoing research in and outside their school settings.

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Proactive attitude – ESL resilient teachers plan ahead and are proactive instead of reactive.

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Strong sense of Commitment – ESL resilient teachers are always committed to their profession and their Institution. Therefore, they maintain open lines of communication with all school community members.

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Lead by example–ESL resilient teachers lead others by setting professional standards. They arrive on time, minimize their absences, keep impeccable school records, conduct excellent classes, and maintain strong relations with members of the school community.

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Strong ethical values –ESL resilient teachers exemplify the highest standards of ethics in and outside school settings.

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Four Alternatives: Quit, Complain, Ignore, Resolve There is no other place in Puerto Rico where resilience is needed more than in the Public School System. Experience tells us that when people face life predicaments, they always rely on one of four alternatives: quit, complain, ignore, or resolve. There’s no exception to this ‘rule of thumb’ when it comes to teachers facing school-educational dilemmas. The first alternative, quitting is the easiest one of all four. Teachers who cannot cope with their school realities, opt to leave the problem behind by escaping it and moving somewhere else or delegating it into someone else. These teachers leave the island, move to another job, or simply try at another school scenario. In the second alternative teachers don’t quit, but remain as eternal grumpy complainers and dissenters of every initiative that the “system” proposes. These teachers go to school or face their life from the perspective of a “fatalist speech” in which everything the administration does is wrong, yet they are ready to bring their banners, ‘panderetas’, and flyers to protest about it publicly. However, when confronted, most of the time they cannot provide any practical solution to deal with the dilemmas or they do not participate or support the system. In the third alternative, sometimes even more dangerous, schoolteachers neither quit, nor complain, but they become extremely indifferent and ignore everything that goes on around them. They just “go with the flow” waiting for their paychecks on the 15th and 30th of the month without caring to contribute in any form to improve themselves or to provide any solutions to school problems. These individuals do not complain but rather take advantage of every chance they get to abuse and exploit the system’s weak range of rights and opportunities. Thus, they deceive the school system by attending false medical appointments, jumping into every field trip or extra-curricular activity someone else organizes or hosts, improvising in their classes, or simply doing whatever they can to survive within the system by going under the radar of supervision or outside scrutiny. These teachers exemplify very well the lazy Puerto Ricans everyone used to talk about before.

However, and fortunately for the system, some educators (a rather minority) have opted for the fourth alternative recommended by Dr. Meléndez in his article and have become exceptionally resilient in the PRDE. These teachers have withstood and endured all the uncertainties and difficulties the system has brought upon them as of lately. With an enormous resilience mindset, these educators have weathered the storm day in and day out, and now are not only HQT, but also “battle-tested” teachers (BTT).

These educators have been ready to overcome the circumstances and adapt to them quickly for the benefit of their students and their Institution. They have wasted no time in complaining and whining about ongoing changes. They have understood that changes are an inherent part of educational processes and have prepared themselves to be better at all times.

These educators are never afraid of supervision. They do not fear any new program philosophy, curricular changes, standards and policies, nor planning procedures. Their self-esteem, their academic preparation, and their level of commitment allows them to stand above all of these circumstances and face new challenges with ease. In most cases, it is the other way around. School directors and facilitators (supervisors) regard these teachers with such a high esteem and level of respect that they are usually being asked to participate in most school or PRDE public-policy making. Thus, these educators end up joining and participating in PRDE committees that would benefit them in the long run.

Now, imagine for a second that at least 70% of our school teachers in Puerto Rico could have a strong resilient attitude. What a different society could we envision?

Let’s embrace Dr. Meléndez’s invitation! We are not anymore the lazy people everyone thought

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we were before. “Ya no somos vagos”. It’s time to join the resilience movement! Let’s show everyone that PR ESL teachers are at the resilience forefront!

References Meléndez E. (2014). “El Puertorriqueño es vago.” Retrieved from endi.com Meléndez E. & Vargas-Ramos, C. (Eds.) (2014). Puerto Ricans at the dawn of the new millennium. New York: Center for Puerto Rican Studies.

Puerto Rico Department of Education. (2015). Carta Circular 1-2015-2016 Política pública sobre la planificación del aprendizaje.

Puerto Rico Department of Education. (2014). English Program Puerto Rico Core Standards (PRCS). A path towards the construction of a new educational paradigm.

Puerto Rico Department of Education. (2014). Carta Circular 05-2014-2015 Política pública sobre la clasificación de las escuelas e implementación de estrategias de transformación para mejorar el aprovechamiento académico de los estudiantes de acuerdo con el plan de flexibilidad.

Puerto Rico Department of Education. (2014). Carta Circular 36-2013-2014 Enmienda a la carta circular núm. 34-2013-2014: Política pública para la reubicación del personal docente por la consolidación o reorganización de planteles escolares.

Puerto Rico Department of Education. (2013). Carta Circular 14-2013-2014 Política pública sobre la planificación del aprendizaje.

Puerto Rico Department of Education. (2013). Carta Circular 8-2013-2014 Política pública sobre el contenido curricular del programa de inglés para todas las escuelas públicas elementales, intermedias y superiores.

Puerto Rico Department of Education. (2011). Carta Circular 11-2011-2012 Política pública sobre el contenido curricular del programa de inglés para todas las escuelas públicas elementales, intermedias y superiores.

Puerto Rico Department of Education. (2007). English Program Content Standards and Grade Level Expectations.

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PBL from Theory to Practice Cristina Guerra, Ed.D. Have you got a problem? Do what you can where you are with what you’ve got.

Theodore Roosevelt It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.

Albert Einstein Since the beginning of time, there have been forms of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) as people have faced all sorts of problematic situations. For ages, human beings have tackled problems including the basic issues of survival, finding food and shelter, and protecting themselves against enemies.

However, you might be asking how and why Problem Based Learning is becoming so popular in the field of education. First of all, we must provide a little bit of theoretical framework or background. I am aware, my dear readers, that the word theory might cause some people to go into apoplexy. However, let me tell you a little secret: there is nothing more practical than a theory. Theories provide direction and serve as the foundation for our teaching practices.

Problem Based Learning, and Project Based Learning (its most comprehensive modality) are no exception. They both have their roots in Progressivism. I imagine that by now you might be asking what in the world Progressivism is and why we need to know about this. Progressivism is an educational philosophy that asserts that ideas should be tested by active experimentation. It is also based on the notion that learning is rooted in the questions of learners as they interact in meaningful settings (Woodin, 2014).

John Dewey and William Kirkpatrick are two of the most influential and key proponents of Progressivism. The notion that we learn by doing and by questioning the world around us is essential when implementing the tenets of Progressivism in the classroom. One of the multiple ways in which Progressivism can be implemented in the classroom is by creating Problem-Based or Project Based Learning lessons (Berkel et al., 2010; Larmer et al., 2015).

A Little bit of Semantics: What Does PBL Stand for and How Can We Define What It Is? PBL stands for both Problem Based and Project Based Learning. Actually, Problem-Based Learning is a subset of Project-Based Learning. In other words, one of the ways teachers could frame a project is “to solve a problem.”

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Barrows (1980) defines PBL as the learning that results from the process of working towards the understanding of a resolution of a problem. The problem is encountered first in the learning process.

What this means is that the students are presented with the problem or trigger first, and then other curriculum inputs or teaching strategies follow later (Larmer et al., 2015).

Another way of defining Problem/Project Based learning is by stating that it is part of the shift from the teaching paradigm to the learning paradigm. That is, PBL is student-centered. Its emphasis is on what the student is capable of learning as the result of the experiences organized by the teacher, who is simply a facilitator of the learning process (Cameron and Craig, 2014; Larmer et al., 2015).

Consequently, we could say that PBL is both a form of curriculum design and a process. PBL is a form of curriculum design because teachers facilitate learning by designing experiences and providing the necessary setting for learning to occur. It is also the process by which students discover truths and acquire new knowledge as they engage in meaningful and pertinent real-life tasks (Larmer et al., 2015).

The curriculum consists of carefully designed problems and projects that demand from the learner acquisition of critical knowledge, problem solving proficiency, self-directed learning strategies, and team participation skills. Even though, PBL originated in the field of Medicine, teachers have been using it for several decades now (Larmer et al., 2015).

Characteristics of PBL Lessons In this section, we will succinctly mention the most important characteristics of Problem and Project Based Lessons as presented in, learning theories.com (http://www.learning-theories.com/ problem-based-learning-pbl.html), and other valuable webpages such as the Buck Institute for Education (http://bie.org/about/what_pbl).

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They have a strong emphasis on group work.

One of the defining characteristics of a PBL lesson is its emphasis on group work. Students team up with their peers to solve problems or to work collaboratively on projects. Even though at some point in the PBL lesson the students could work individually, most of the time the students are working with their classmates.

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PBL lessons are also interdisciplinary. PBL lessons require and foster the integration of the different content areas.

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Lessons are inductive. Students learn by discovering, creating, and constructing their own knowledge.

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As we said before, PBL lessons are student-centered, and not, teacher-centered. The student is the center of the learning process and the lesson must cater to the student’s needs and interests.

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PBL lessons promote inquiry and critical thinking. Students must use their higher order thinking skills to solve problems and to complete the projects.

• PBL also fosters collaboration and cooperation among students. The students are not competing with one another. On the contrary, they must collaborate in order to solve the problem under study.

• PBL lessons are contextualized. They are based on real world issues and situations.

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When using PBL, learning becomes an ongoing process. PBL lessons foster lifelong learning experiences by motivating the students to engage in tasks that require that they investigate and learn by studying topics, issues, and situations that are multifaceted and that can be explored and revisited in multiple instances.

PBL and 21st Century Education As we know, the term 21st Century skills refers to a broad set of knowledge, skills, character traits, and work habits that are deemed as essential and critically important in today’s world, PBL is an essential strategy to promote the development of such skills and dispositions (http://edglossary. org/21st-century-skills/). When implementing PBL lessons, students can develop their: •

Critical thinking, problem solving, and reasoning skills

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Capacity to analyze, interpret, and synthesize information

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Research skills and practices

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Ability to question reality

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Creativity, artistry, curiosity, imagination, innovation, and personal expression

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Perseverance, self-direction, planning, self-discipline, adaptability, initiative

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Oral and written communication, public speaking and presenting, and listening skills

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Leadership, teamwork, collaboration, cooperation, facility in using virtual workspaces

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Information and communication technology (ITC) literacy, media and internet literacy, data interpretation, analysis, and computer programming

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Civic, ethical, and social-justice literacy

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Economic and financial literacy, and entrepreneurialism

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Global awareness, multicultural literacy, and humanitarianism

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Scientific literacy and reasoning

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Environmental and conservation literacy

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Understanding of ecosystems, and their impact in today’s society

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Health and wellness literacy, including nutrition, diet, exercise, and public health and safety

Operational Definition of PBL: How Can We Implement PBL in Our Classrooms?

The following are some of the steps a teacher could follow to implement PBL in his/her classroom as mentioned by Larmer et al. (2015), editor in chief of the Buck Institute for Education (http://www. edutopia.org/blog/pbl-vs-pbl-vs-xbl-john-larmer).

Students are presented with an “ill-structured” problem. By “ill-structured” the theorists mean that the solution to the problem or the end product of the project is not pre-determined or given away to the students.

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1. Students discuss the problem in a small group. This requires that: •

They define the elements of the problem.

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They clarify facts.

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They brainstorm ideas based on their prior knowledge.

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They identify what they need to learn to work on the problem

2. Students engage in independent study on their learning issues outside the small group. This can include visiting the library, searching databases or the web, interviewing people, making observations.

3. Students come back to the PBL group to share information, engage in peer teaching, and working together on the problem or project.

4. Students present their solution to the problem or share their projects with the rest of the class.

5. They review what they have learned from working on the problem/project.

6. Assessment - students engage in self and peer assessment of the PBL process. Students reflect on their and their peers’ contribution to the process.

Benefits Proponents of project-based learning and problem based learning, (Berkel et al., 2010; Cameron and Craig, 2014; Larmer et al., 2015) cite numerous benefits to the implementation of its strategies in the classroom, including a greater depth of understanding of concepts, broader knowledge base, improved communication and interpersonal/social skills, enhanced leadership skills, increased creativity, and improved writing skills.

PBL with a Puerto Rican Flavor Because of all the reasons mentioned above, Caridad Carballido, Emus Hernandez, and Penelope Rivera, three exceptional, dedicated, and committed Puerto Rican educators working at different scenarios decided to give PBL a chance. Caridad works as a third grade English teacher in a public school in the Cupey area. In her school, resources are limited and the school facilities are not in optimal condition. Emus and Penelope work as English teachers in a prestigious private school located in Guaynabo. These are two different worlds, two different school populations, and two very different school settings. However, no matter the setting or working conditions, these three fantastic educators have been implementing PBL for a couple of years now and the results have been impressive! Students participate more eagerly, and are more involved in their own learning process. Students use their critical and creative thinking skills to work collaboratively to achieve a common goal, either the completion of the project or the solution of the problem.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Please enjoy the wonders and benefits of PBL as you examine the awesome work being done by Caridad, Emus, and Penelope as designers of PBL lessons.

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Students creating a graďŹƒti wall: What Makes Puerto Rico Unique?

Teacher Caridad Carballido

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Another Problem Based Project:

Who Am I?

References Barrows, H. (1980). Problem-Based Learning: An Approach to Medical Education. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Berkel, H., Sherpbier, A., Hillen, H.,& Van Der Vleuten, C. (2010). Lessons from problem-based learning. UK: Oxford University Press.

Cameron, S. & Craig, C. (2014). Project-based learning tasks for common core state standards, grades 6 – 8. Quincy, Illinois: Mark Twain Media.

Larmer, J., Mergendoller, J., & Boss, S. (2015). Setting the standard for project based learning: A proven approach to rigorous classroom instruction. California: Buck Institute for Education.

Woodin, T. (2014). Co-operation, learning and co-operative values: Contemporary issues in education. Kentucky: Routledge.

Online Resources Best practices: Problem-based learning. (2013, December 11). [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=5p3RAkRNLpU Engaging students with problem based learning. (2014, January 23). [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=VSAkRBxMR9A How to get problem-based learning going in your school. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.learning-theories.com/problembased-learning-pbl.html Inquiry and problem based learning. (2008, September 15). [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=3MRo4c_Q7Fs

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Integrated learning: One project, several disciplines. (2015, May 22). [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=99FxWH3ovlU Introduction to PBL [2011, February 15]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNhismExIwU PBL checklists. (2015). Retrieved from http://pblchecklist.4teachers.org/checklist.shtml (page to create checklists to evaluate PBL) Problem-based learning. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.acs.edu.au/enrolment/problem-based-learning/default.aspx Problem based learning. [Video file]. (2012, August 28). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZS2MbxBGCM Problem/project based learning in elementary schools. (2012, August 22). [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=PlDplQipLwc Problem solving through project-based learning. (2013, August 7). [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=AYO89DDYMyQ Project-based language arts ideas and lesson plans. (2015). Retrieved from http://edtecher.hubpages.com/hub/english-projectsideas-language-arts-pbl Project based learning explained. (2010, December 9). [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMCZvGesRz8 Project-based learning: Success start to finish. (2012, May 23). [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWX6KZQDoE Project-based learning vs. Problem-based learning vs. X-BL. (2014). Retrieved fromhttp://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-vs-pbl-vsxbl-john-larmer Project based learning world. (2015). Retrieved from https://pblworld.org/ Project design overview and student learning guide. (2015). Retrieved from http://bie.org/object/document/project_design_ overview_and_student_learning_guide (checklist to evaluate PBL organization) Reinventing a public high school with PBL. (2013, March 20). [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Tlg-nsGi7V0 21st century skills. (2015). Retrieved from http://edglossary.org/21st-century-skills What is PBL? (2016). Retrieved from http://bie.org/about/what_pbl Why PBL? (2016). Retrieved from http://bie.org

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Societal Bilingualism and Culturally Relevant Literature Carmen Torres Rivera, Ed.D. “It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters at the end” -Ursula Le Guin

As an English educator I have experienced the failed efforts of achieving societal bilingualism in Puerto Rico even after over a century of formal contact with the language. Scholars have identified that apprehension, lack of preparation in the language on the part of some educators, the methodology used, and excessive changes in language policies play important roles in the lack of success of acquiring proficiency in English. However, one of the factors with the greatest impact upon the acquisition of English has been the perception of ESL learners who many times link the acquisition of English to political interests. This perception has distorted the learners’ view of this language, which is seen as a colonizing force instead of a global language of communication.

According to Pousada (1996), English is equated with the arrival of the United States in Puerto Rico as the controlling power. Many Puerto Ricans have expressed resentment by sabotaging any efforts to develop proficiency in English. The teaching of English began in Puerto Rico in an abrupt and imposed form and different language policies were introduced and eliminated without taking into consideration Puerto Rican cultural identity. By 1898, Puerto Ricans had a strong sense of their national identity which was closely tied to Spain and the Spanish language. This national sense clashed with the imposition of English in the late 19th century.

United States officials believed they could successfully impose language strategies which had been effective in other scenarios, such as in Hawaii (Migge, 2007). However, Puerto Ricans had

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experienced a distinct historical trajectory and had a fully developed Afro-indigenous Spanish criollo identity. Roberts (2008) reported that Spanish, as a key aspect of Puerto Rican identity, was clearly apparent after the publication of Coplas del Jíbaro (1820). While the inhabitants of many other Caribbean islands transformed the imposed colonial language into a creole, the peoples of the Spanish Antilles Africanized and Indigenized the colonial language and resisted this linguistic evolution. In this process, they, thus, took control over the emergence of a criollo culture and identity that they were proud to make and call their own (Peters, 2008).

The American government ignored this fact when Puerto Rico became part of its territories.

American officials expected a fairly rapid language shift. A limited group in Puerto Rico considers itself to be bilingual, but the goal of societal bilingualism has not been achieved (Vele, 2000). While the public school system has explored different approaches and methodologies, the outcome has been the same in all instances. Individual students have become bilingual or more fluent in the English language, but the general student population is still limited in its proficiency in English (Vélez Ortiz, 1999).

Since Spanish is intrinsically linked to what makes a person Puerto Rican, the teaching of English is perceived as a threat to that identity. To complicate the scenario, local politicians use language as a way of advancing their political goals. As a result, English is often linked to the political party that promotes statehood, and many Puerto Ricans believe that if a person communicates in English, it is because she/he wishes the Island to become the 51st state (Pousada, 2006).

Language as a marker of identity has made it very challenging for educators to make English appealing to their students while also juggling the constantly changing approaches that the Department of Education has decided to implement over the years. Nevertheless, many students are still reluctant and struggling to learn English (Pousada, 2000).

In the workshops I have participated in, the focus has been in providing educators the strategies to incorporate in their classrooms with culturally relevant resources to facilitate the development of their students’ language skills in English. Studies like those of Muñoz (2011), Santiago (2008), Méndez Bonet (2012), and Cardona (2007) have shown that the use of culturally relevant works lowers student apprehension and reduces their reluctance to use the English language. When culturally relevant resources are used, English learners see their world mirrored in a second language, and it is transformed from an alien force into another form of communicating their life experiences. English goes from being a colonial language to being a global one that bridges different worlds, provides vicarious experiences, and offers a different dimension to cultural identity. English then becomes a summative force in the personal identity of the second language learner (Pousada, 2000).

In many of these workshops, the use of culturally relevant literature is vital to creating a harmonious learning environment that will fulfill what Vygotskian theory promises in terms of learner development. In addition to the enduring link between Caribbean Spanish and cultural identity in Puerto Rican society, there is also the issue of race that molds the self-image of Puerto Ricans. The scars of slavery have gone beyond the historical uprooting and enslavement of individuals from their homelands and have engendered racist attitudes against Puerto Rico’s African legacy that have persisted into the present (Godreau, 2013).

Conforming to (Brooks, 2009), the rejection of African heritage is clearly visible when viewed through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT). This theoretical perspective has revealed the distortion of historical accounts concerning the participation of enslaved Africans and Afro-Puerto Ricans in island

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society. Few historians have gone beyond the colonizers’ version to uncover the active role of the enslaved in the construction of Puerto Rican culture and the achievement of their liberty. Few accounts discuss how not all Africans or descendants of Africans came as slaves to the Island, an important exception being Sued Badillo (2007) who presents evidence regarding the case of the Mexías family, free artisans and mine workers.

While Afro-Puerto Ricans in the 21st century might not suffer the overt racism of the past, covert racist attitudes still persist. From apparently innocent sayings like, Ese negro tiene alma de blanco (That black person has a white soul.) or Tiene el alma negra (He/she has a black soul.) to songs like, Mataron el Negro Bembón, manifestations of racism are still alive and kicking in the shadow of denial.

These are the realities that have shaped and inspired the workshops I have collaborated in.

The original goal in my graduate studies was to discover and identify culturally relevant resources to facilitate the acquisition of the English language that also recognized the Afro-Caribbean component of island identity, a much ignored aspect, which has perpetuated feelings of inferiority. However, as the research was being conducted, the scarcity of such resources became clear, and at this moment not only do I offer these workshops, but also write stories to fill those gaps in Puerto Rican children’s literature. The resulting stories, some shared in this past summer proposal, vividly demonstrate how Afro-Puerto Ricans were and continue to be an integral part of Puerto Rican culture and provide English instructors with appealing and genuinely interesting materials with which to teach and inspire Puerto Rican students.

Puerto Rican educators must provide an opportunity for their students to experience Puerto Rican culture as they develop their linguistic skills in English, and Afro-Puerto Rican literature should be an integral component of the work enjoyed by Puerto Rican ESL learners. Their academic journey should embrace the totality of Puerto Rican identity without any exclusion.

In time, the pages of Puerto Rican literature should begin to be filled with titles that not only reflect Puerto Ricans’ unique mixed identity, but are also voiced in both Spanish and English. The appearance of the Afro-Puerto Rican component should not be an exception, but the norm. ESL educators in Puerto Rico can guide their students to discover their heritage as they acquire a second language.

More work must be accomplished in order to completely give voice to Afro-Puerto Ricans within the genre of children’s literature. One of the needs is to conduct research during the years when AfroPuerto Rican children’s literature seems not to have been published. It is necessary to visit the different libraries of the UPR System to see if there are out-of-print children’s books portraying Afro-Puerto Rican characters in their Puerto Rican collections. This research should also include the few municipal libraries that exist as well as the archives of the Department of Education of Puerto Rico.

Rivera de Pineiro’s 1987 research on Puerto Rican children’s literature needs to be updated. There are outstanding scholars and educators from the public and private education systems that could be recruited to carry out such research. Educators need to have a textbook which presents the development of Puerto Rican children’s literature up to contemporary times. Such a textbook should include the current efforts of many local writers who are publishing their work independently due to lack of support and availability of publishing houses on the Island.

The creation of an updated textbook on Puerto Rican children’s literature would be a resource that could be used with teacher candidates majoring in K-6 and ESL educational programs. If the textbook followed Rivera de Pinero’s (1987) format, it would be a bilingual edition that universities

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could incorporate into courses like the Children’s Literature course (INGL 4326) offered at the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao.

Reprinting many of the out-of-print titles that were shared in these workshops should be considered. It is unfortunate that educators wanting to use these titles have to depend on second-hand purchases that may be very affordable at times or may be priced exorbitantly high as rare collectors’ items.

The Department of Education should consider the use of Puerto Rican children’s books as a core element in their curriculum and not as optional reading as is the case with the curriculum maps and Esmeralda’s Santiago’s memoir, When I was Puerto Rican (2006). Even with the limited titles available, there are still several Puerto Rican titles listed in the curriculum maps in grades four through six. Instead of the Department of Education of Puerto Rico investing in English textbooks that do not meet the linguistic and cultural needs of the students, funds should be assigned to acquire Puerto Rican children’s books. Many out-of-print titles would again be available in print if the Department of Education showed interest in adding the titles to the public school curriculum. Puerto Rican students could then enjoy such works as, The Green Song, in its original version, Mohr’s short stories from, The Song of the Coquí (1995), and novels such as Bernier-Grand’s, In the Shade of the Níspero Tree (1999) and Ortiz Cofer’s, The Meaning of Consuelo (2004).

The greatest resources for developing a strong culturally relevant curriculum are the English educators themselves. English teachers are creative professionals who have faced the challenges of making the learning of English enjoyable even with limited resources. Within this creative group, many are talented writers who have not had a chance to fully develop their potential. It is time that the public and private school systems give these talented educators and writers the opportunity to write and present their literary works. Those works that fulfill the literary and educational standards set by the Department of Education could be published for use in the English classroom, thus providing contemporary works created by educators who fully understand the dynamics of Puerto Rican English language learners.

Teachers can also create non-fiction works to be used in the classroom. Students can learn in the English language about the achievements of the great women and men who have shaped Puerto Rican culture and history such as Pura Belpré, Julia de Burgos, Eugenio María de Hostos, and so many others.

These same educators and writers can enrich Afro-Puerto Rican literature with their stories, novels, essays, and poems. Many are themselves Afro-Puerto Ricans and have many stories to tell and share. If given the opportunity, such stories will speak with a distinctive voice for the students from the public school system to discover.

Puerto Rican literature needs new titles for the enjoyment of its ESL learners. It is way past time for children to be able to access Puerto Rican literature with the same ease as they can find prizewinning titles published in the United States and Great Britain. Just as different generations of readers have emblematic books that become classics enjoyed by generations, it is time for Puerto Rican children’s literature to join the lists of unforgettable works like, Charlotte’s Web (2012), The Giver (2014), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1994), and A Wrinkle in Time (2007).

Including Afro-Puerto Rican literary resources in the English curriculum will not only provide students with culturally salient means of facilitating second language learning, it will also give a voice to Afro-Puerto Ricans and reinforce their pride in their African heritage. Those works that have a historical

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component can become vehicles for students to learn about their history while acquiring the English language.

Puerto Rican English teachers need to take a more active role in language policy implementation, not only by creating culturally appropriate resources for ESL learners, but also by participating in educational organizations in order to be up to date on the issues related to the teaching of English on the Island. They should additionally offer workshops and conferences about what is happening in their classrooms. This would create a support network that is sorely needed and would facilitate thoughtful and logical curriculum development.

The Puerto Rican English Writers Association (PREWA) is an association that English educators should consider joining. This association, founded by Dr. Anibal Muñoz of the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, provides a space for English educators to be aware of new teaching trends and produce creative writing for use in the classroom. The association (http://prewapr.blogspot.com/2012/05/ pictures-of-our-activities.html) is another forum for educators to voice the need for culturally relevant teaching resources as a curricular requirement instead of merely an optional supplement. It embodies what this dissertation has sought to demonstrate.

The two year experience in this proposal has demonstrated the great talent our educators possess.

It has been a privilege to share my passion culturally relevant literature with outstanding educators and later seen the great projects they have developed with their students. This is the journey that will make possible the societal bilingualism we have strived for so many decades.

References Bernier-Grand, C. T. (1999). In the shade of the níspero tree. New York: Orchard Books.

Brooks, W. (2009). An author as a counter-storyteller: Applying critical race theory to a Coretta Scott King Award Book. Children’s Literature in Education, 40, 33-45.

Cardona, S.M. (2007). Teaching English the Puerto Rican way: Developing ESL materials that mirror the source culture for Puerto Rican elementary English classroom. Unpublished Master’s thesis. University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez.

Godreau, I., Franco-Ortiz, M., Lloréns, H., Reinat Plumarejo, M., Canabal-Torres, I., & Gasar-Concepción, J. (2013). Arrancando mitos de raíz: Guía para una enseñanza antirracista de la herencia africana en Puerto Rico. Cayey, PR: Instituto de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias.

L’Engle, M. (2007). A wrinkle in time. New York: Macmillan (Square Fish).

Lewis, C. S. (1994). The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe. New York: HarperCollins.

Lowry, L. (2002). The giver. New York: Random House (Laurel Leaf).

Méndez Bonet, Y (2012). Listening to the voices of the Caribbean: Introducing Caribbean children’s literature into the English classroom in Puerto Rico. Unpublished Master’s thesis. University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus.

Migge, B & Léglise, I. (2008). Language and colonialism. Applied linguistics in in the context of creole languages. Handbook of Applied Linguistics, 297-338.

Muñoz, A. (2011). The Puerto Rican acculturation of English literature: A Vygotskian mediation for the UPRH English pre-basic course.

Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras.

Ortiz Cofer, J. (2004). The meaning of Consuelo: A novel. New York: Beacon Press.

Pousada, A. (2006). The sociolinguistic implications of teaching English in Puerto Rico. PRTESOLGram, 33(3), 6-27.

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Pousada, A. (2000). The competent bilingual in Puerto Rico. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 142, 103-118.

Pousada, A. (1996). Puerto Rico: On the horns of a language planning dilemma. TESOL Quarterly, 499-510.

Rivera de Piñeiro, F. (1987). Un siglo de literatura infantil puertorriqueña: A century of Puerto Rican children’s literature. Río Piedras, PR: Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico.

Roberts, P.A. (2008). The roots of Caribbean identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Santiago, E. (1994). When I was Puerto Rican. New York: Vintage.

Santiago, T. (2008). Children’s perception of the learning of English as a second language and the textbooks used in the classrooms in the colonial/ postcolonial context of Puerto Rico. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Pennsylvania State University.

Vélez Ortiz, J.A. (1999), Toward a language policy that addresses Puerto Rican reality. Milenio, 74-81.

White, E. B. (2004). Charlotte’s web. New York: Harper Collins.

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The Hour of Code and the ESL Classroom Rosemary Morales Urbina, Ed. D. From December 7-13, 2015 and for the third year in a row, non-profit Code.org helped to organize almost 200,000 “Hour of Code” events for Computer Science Week (Kamenetz, 2015). What on Earth is the “Hour of Code” you ask? Swetha Prabakaran, CEO of Everyone Code Now and a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia, says that, “Coding, in the most simplest terms, is [telling] a computer to do what you want [or commanding] a dog to sit. You’re telling a computer to do something and just like we write in English a ‘to do’ list or directions, you write a language for computers” (http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/tean-ceo-says-everyoneshould-code/3006035.html). Even President Obama advocates coding when he states, “Don’t just play on your phone, program it.” (www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC5FbmsH4fw).

The Hour of Code specifically intends to engage students, teachers, parents, and others (ages five and up, and at any level of experience) to experiment with programming and creating games in enjoyable ways. Some lessons are structured, while others are more creative with exploratory activities that hold a variety of experiences that make coding accessible to all kinds of learners. Activities can be conducted on any kind of device, such as computers, phones, and tablets, in pairs, or together as a whole group. If access to any of these tools is an issue, several unplugged or non-technological activities can be held in every classroom and anywhere around the globe (Cronin, 2015).

Introduced in 2013, Code.org® is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to computer science, and increasing the participation of female students, underrepresented students of color, and Hispanics as reflected in Figure 1. Their vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science. They believe computer science should be part of the core curriculum, as well as other courses such as biology, chemistry, English, or algebra.

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Code’s Goals and Metrics Code.org increases diversity in computer science by reaching students of all backgrounds where they are at their skill-level, and in their schools. It has established ways that inspire them to keep learning by achieving the following goals: 1. Improve diversity in Computer Science (CS) In online courses, 43% of students are girls and 37% are black or Hispanic. In high school classrooms, 34% are girls, and 60% are African American or Hispanic.

2. Inspire students Tens of millions have tried the Hour of Code. (213,093,692 have been served and 49% have been female).

3. Create fantastic courses Ninety nine percent of surveyed teachers recommend the Code.org introduction to the CS curriculum.

4. Reach classrooms Approximately, 276,426 teachers have signed up to teach introductory courses on Code Studio and 9,289,232 students are enrolled.

5. Prep new CS teachers Twenty thousand new teachers are prepared to teach CS across grades K-12.

6. Change school district curriculum Code.org has partnered with 100 of the largest school districts in the United States to add CS to the curriculum. These districts teach almost 10% of all U.S. students and 15% are Hispanic and African American students.

7. Set up policies to support CS Educational policies changed in 17 states, including CA, NY, FL, IL, and OH. 8. Go global Courses are available in over 45 languages and used in more than 180 countries.

The next question you are probably asking yourself is, what does this have to do with the ESL classroom? Coding activities are not just for computer science and math. They can also be part of a lesson or projects in English, as well as in social studies, science, art, or theater courses. Even Kindergarten and elementary school students can benefit from opportunities to practice computational thinking skills (Cronin, 2015).

“Coding is not just a set of technical skills,” states Mitchel Resnick, in Kamenetz (2015, para 5), leader of the Lifelong Kinder Group, which develops new technologies for creativity at MIT’s Media Lab. “It’s a new way of expressing yourself. It’s similar to learning to write - a way for kids to express and share ideas. But instead of putting words into sentences, now they can create animated stories” (Kamenetz, 2015, para 8).

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Dicken (2015) explains that he has created coding activities to teach several concepts, such as math and literacy. According to Dicken (2015), teaching children to manage technology at an early age to create, solve problems, and collaborate is essential in elementary education. Kindergarteners are ideal learners because they are not fearful of trying new things. Technology has been part of their lives and they feel comfortable with it. He posits that coding education prepares students to think with an engineering and developing mindset and gets them ready to master future skills in an evolving, digital globe. It is also an integral part of this process with wide implications for math and literacy skills. Children’s minds that are still easily capable of being shaped and formed to critical thinking skills through the means of technology will be better prepared to confront future problems in any field.

Leah Benavente, a sixth grade teacher at Palm View Elementary School in Coachella, California, affirms that “more than half of her students are English learners, but coding helps to level the playing field. It is important for them to be fluent not only in English but in coding as well.” She asserts that “... coding is like reading and writing, like learning a new language” (Hwang, 2015, para 10). Her students created games for MInecraft, Flappy Bird, and Star Wars. Others designed games with the help of code. org and loaded them up on their phones and showed them to their parents, says Noelle Johnson, a 4th grade and 5th grade teacher at Amelia Earhart Elementary at Indio, California. This type of coding teaches students the logic of code without hindering them with memorizing language. Eventually, she feels that they will move toward learning the language (Hwang, 2015).

So what language are we talking about: an algorithm or English? An algorithm is a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or solving operations, especially by a computer (New Oxford American Dictionary, 2015). Alana Aaron, who teaches fifth grade students in Washington Heights, New York, considers an algorithm like a recipe. “An algorithm is just a list of steps to complete a task,” she says (Morais, 2015, para 7). The English language is the vernacular of over 400 million native speakers and the medium of communication of millions more all over the world (New Oxford American Dictionary, 2015).

If you know how to code, inadvertently, you are also developing your English language skills, because you are using the language to communicate.

Let us explore how other teachers have included coding in their classes. A lesson plan available in English and Spanish that can be downloaded to teach students how to code at K-3, 4-6, and 7+ levels without the use of technology is My Robotic Friends by Thinkersmith (2013). In this lesson, it teaches students how to code by placing plastic cups in pyramid form without looking at a graph or image. It becomes more complicated by grade level. Below is part of the lesson plan:

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Main Goal: Highlight programming techniques and illustrate the need for functions.

Overview: Using a predefined “Robot Vocabulary” your students will figure out how to guide one another to accomplish specific tasks without discussing them first. This segment teaches students the connection between symbols and actions, as well as the valuable skill of debugging.

Objectives: Students will: - Learn to convert real-world activities into instructions - Gain practice coding instructions with symbols - Gain understanding of the need for precision in coding - Gain practice debugging malfunctioning code. (Debugging means finding and fixing issues).

- Understand the usefulness of functions and parameters (grades 7+)

Kickstart: Pull out a copy of the Symbol Key (or write the symbols on the board). Step to the side and tell the class that these will be the only six symbols that they will be using for this exercise. For this task, they will instruct their “robot” to build a specific cup stack using arrows pointing in six directions:

↑ up

↓ down

→right

← left

90° left

90° right

Instructions: - ↑ Pick Up Cup - ↓ Put Down Cup - → Move 1/2 Cup Width Forward - → Move 1/2 Cup Width Backward -

Turn Cup Right 90°

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Turn Cup Left 90°

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�

Figure 2. Stack of cups The image above reveals what the “robot”, student, or group of students accomplished by following and executing the language of code to create a pyramid out of cups step by step with no technology involved. The age and grade level will determine the height and width of the pyramid in this activity.

Adjustments: Start by asking the class if anyone has heard of robotics. Has anyone seen a robot or touched one? Does a robot really “hear” you speak? Does it really “understand” what you say? The answer to the last question is: “Not the same way that a person does.” Robots operate off of “instructions”, specific sets of things that they have been preprogrammed to do. In order to accomplish a task, a robot needs to have a series of instructions (sometimes called an algorithm) that it can run. Today, we are going to learn what it takes to make that happen.

Grades K-3 • Try this lesson all together as one class. Let the students shout directions forthe teacher to write down.

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Have a class assistant leave the room during programming, then return to perform the finished code.

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If there is time, switch. Have the assistant write the instructions from the class and have the teacher perform them.

Grades 4-6

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Adjust group sizes between three and five, depending on personality of class.

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Expect each student to want a turn, this will likely use the entire hour.

Grades 7+ •

Limit groups to four students, three is ideal.

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Students generally complete the full round of turns with plenty of time to include the supplement section on functions

Bear in mind that coding activities which help develop high order thinking skills, the four language skills, vocabulary, and even grammar, can take place year round. The following resources will help you run an hour of code event in your classroom (code.org).

1.

Watch How to Run an Hour of Code (Video, 3:05)

2.

Download or Print the Participation Guide (PDF)

3.

Review Best Practices From Successful Educators (Slideshow)

4.

Explore the Hour of Code Tutorials

5.

Follow #Hour of Code on Twitter

Check out the following resources to explore sample activities (Cronin, 2015).

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Teacher-Led Lesson Plans for Elementary, Middle, and High School in Various Subject Areas (Code.org)

2.

Hour of Code Suggestions by Grade Level (Ask The Tech Teacher, 2014)

3.

Coding for Kindergarteners (Edutopia, 2014)

Explore the following resources for ideas on how to make opportunities to code and exercise computational-thinking skills an integral part of classroom activities (Cronin, 2015).

1. Life After the Hour of Code (Edutopia, 2014) 2. 15+ Ways of Teaching Every Student to Code (Even Without a Computer) (Edutopia, 2014) 3. Coding for Kids Revisited (Edutopia, 2014) Resnick, as cited in Kamenetz, 2015 considers that most popular apps for teaching programming are dull, since they are structured like games with a simple set of instructions to reach a predefined outcome. “If you present just logic puzzles, it’s like teaching them writing by only teaching grammar and punctuation. As children spend more and more time interacting with digital devices, they don’t have many opportunities to to create and experiment.” (Kamenetz, 2015, para 9). He favors ScratchJr because students can make greeting cards and build games themselves. ScratchJr features characters from PBS Kids cartoon shows, like Wild Kratts and Odd Squad. Sara DeWitt, vice president of PBS Kids Digital, apprises that PBS had been looking for a way to get involved with coding and programming that matched how children already engage with these characters. “All of this came together with ScratchJr because MIT and Tufts’ approach to coding is really about creative self-expression and storytelling, and looking at code as a literacy, a way to tell a story” (Kamenetz, 2015, para 13). With the support of the Federal Department of Education and Verizon, PBS will work this year on related outreach programs to high-poverty schools, including “In-person after school programs and summer camps” (Kamenetz, 2015, para 11).

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Dicken (2015) at Meet Your Teacher Night in his school, answered parents’ questions about why their five-year-old needed to learn coding. He explained that coding is a form of literacy and that if their children are to grow up in a world where reading is vital, then the same could be said for an understanding of computers and technology, since it is all around us. He states that coding has changed his students’ thought processes. They work toward an end goal. They are not even aware that they are working on math and reading.

Coding has affected positively even classroom etiquette and behavior through coding. One of the unexpected and incredible surprises for Dicken is that it has helped struggling students in his classroom.

One in particular who had speech challenges, with sight words and letter sounds, and low self-esteem, went form a retention candidate to an automatic promotion. Using the application Dash and Dot, to teach practice letters, numbers, sight words, and math concepts, the student was able to overcome these learning disabilities and become more confident.

I downloaded Foos (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foos-coding-5+-award-winning/ id938016211?mt=12), a coding application on my MacBook Pro for my six-year-old grandson.

He took to it as a bee to a honeycomb. It was fun and very satisfying as I watched him play and learn coding at the same time. I hope I have convinced the readers to make an attempt to learn more about coding. I have provided several websites in the list of references for you to explore. Remember there are many unplugged activities you can utilize in the classroom. More than anything I hope you consider coding as a means of instruction in the teaching of English at least once a week. I am certain you will become enamored with it and add more hours of instruction when you watch your students develop critical thinking skills and becoming more enthused about learning English with this new approach. You will also be exposing them to science and technology without their knowing it and at the same time preparing them for the future.

Puerto Ricans have been learning or trying to learn English for over 100 years. Will coding be an innovative strategy to learn English in the future?

References Adams, A., & Mowers, H. (2014, December 30). Coding for kids revisited. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/ blog/coding-for-kids-revisited-anna-adam Chamberlain, C. (2014, April 27). Ask the tech teacher. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=PYudyZOnGio Code.org. Retrieved from https://code.org.

Cronin, A. (2015, December, 1). Calling all learners and teachers for hour of code 2015. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/ blog/calling-learners-teachers-hour-of-code-ashley-cronin Davis, V. (2015, March 23). 15+ ways of teaching every students to code (Even with- out a computer). Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/15-ways-teaching-students-coding-vicki-dais Dicken, W. (2015, December, 29). Why more students on board for coding instruction - in kindergarten. Retrieved from http:// hechingerreport.org/why-more-students-are-on-board-for-coding-instruction-in-kindergarten-2/ Foos. (2015, July 24). Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foos-coding-5+-award-winning/id938016211?mt=12 Hertz, M. B. (2015, March, 23). Life after hour of code. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/life-after-hourof-code-mary-beth-hertz

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Hwang, K. (2015, December, 23). Kids who code: The next generation. Retrieved from http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/ education/2015/12/23kids-who-code-next-generation/77430690/ James, M., & Struck, K. (2010, October 10). Teen CEO Says Everyone Should Code. Retrieved March 02, 2016, from http://learningenglish. voanews.com/content/tean-ceo-says-everyone-should-code/3006035.html Kamenetz, A. (2015, December, 11). A kid’s coding expert says we’re making computer class too boring. Retrieved from 2015/12/11/458782056/a-kids-coding-expert-says-were-making-computer-class-way-too-boring Morris, B. (2015, November, 30). Can an English teacher learn to code? Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/tech/ elements/can-an-english-teacher-learn-to-code New Oxford American Dictionary. (2010). Oxford University Press.

Patterson, S. (2014, July 7). Coding for kindergarteners. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/coding-forkindergarteners-sam-patterson 3006035.html The hour of code is here. (2013, December 8). [Video File]. Retrieved from https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC5FbmsH4fw Thinkersmith. (2013). Retrieved from https://csedweek.org/files/CSEDrobotics.pdf

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Reflections on Teaching Teachers Vigimaris Nadal-Ramos, Ed.D. I have been teaching since 2010, but I had never had the opportunity of facilitating a workshop for teachers. I was more than pleased with the results and the experience itself. Teachers are naturally inquisitive, so facilitating workshops on poetry, museums, and technological tools was as much a learning experience for me as it was for them. Most of the participants have more experience in teaching than I do, so I welcomed the exchange of ideas among colleagues. Each day, after my workshop, I kept a journal of reflections. Below I share some of the highlights.

Day 1 Today was my first workshop with a group of teachers. It went very well and I had excellent teacher participation.

First, I gave them about 15 minutes to explore a virtual tour of the Louvre Museum in France. The features of that program surprised them. I overheard comments about how they would integrate this tool into their classrooms. I then suggested using a computer lab to have each student explore the museum virtually. Next, I asked them to think about their personal story and I explained that they would later represent their story in a visual work of art. I gave them 20 minutes to explore the campus and become inspired. When they got back from their walk, I had placed a large sketchpad paper at each of their stations and I encouraged them to use materials to bring their ideas to life and make them into art. I further explained that once they created their masterpieces they would share them with the class and explain their meaning. I stressed the importance of making art personal, in other words, experiencing it.

When they were done drawing, cutting, and pasting, most of them took turns in sharing and explaining their work.

As each of them explained their art, I could see the emotions that their stories brought to their lives.

Day 2 Today I took the teachers to the UPR Museum. They truly enjoyed the tour and were very engaged with the main painting, “El Velorio” by Francisco Oller. Three or four of the students mentioned that they wanted to bring their students next semester to visit the Museum. They were also talking about the many things that we should offer our students and that sometimes we forget, for example, like taking them to the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico in Santurce. When we returned to the classroom, I asked them to write down on an index card three things that they learned from the virtual museum tour and the personal museum tour. On the backside of the index card, I asked them to write three ideas on how they can transfer this new knowledge into their classrooms. I was encouraging them to jot down their ideas while they were fresh in their minds so that they wouldn’t forget. They were so excited and I was excited for them. I could see how they were picturing some of the activities with their own students. It was a gratifying moment.

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Day 3 We started talking about poetry. Once I explained the definitions of the literary devices and figures of speech in poetry, they got into the activities that I had planned for them. I took the time to go around the tables and ask them how they were doing; I even had a few conversations with some of the participants. They seemed to be very engaged teachers. Of course, it’s summer and the fact that they came to a three-week workshop in June shows their commitment. This experience was much better than I expected. I am enjoying what I’m doing. I think the participants are enjoying it, too.

Day 5 Yesterday we were talking about technological tools for teachers. As the discussion took place in class, I was happily surprised to see that instead of an informative session, it turned into a discussion about pros and cons of using technology; everybody had their own opinion. What I had planned for about 30 minutes took an hour and a half. I noticed that they were excited about the new tools. Some of them were using their computers to explore the websites as I presented them. For some reason, they asked me about my experience with the workshops. I was happy to tell them that it had been wonderful, that it was my first time working with teachers, and that I’d been lucky to have such a great group.

What I Learned Teaching teachers is as gratifying as teaching students. In the end, we are all students in life, some in a formal educational setting and others through life experiences, but everyone is learning constantly.

Serving as facilitator to a group of teachers was particularly enjoyable for me because I like learning how teachers do certain things with their students in the classroom. These workshops provide the time and space for each of us to share some teaching experiences, which the rest of the group can surely benefit from.

Visiting Teachers The one thing that caught my attention during each of my four visits during the first semester was the great pride these teachers have for their work. They were excited to show me around school, introduce me to their colleagues and students, and share their plans to transfer what they learned in the workshops into their classrooms. These teachers are committed to their job; they make a difference every day. Passion is important in any field, but in teaching, passion is the one thing that drives teachers. it is quite fortunate that we have such committed, passionate, and driven teachers in Puerto Rico.

In conclusion, I would do this again in a heartbeat. My Day 3 notes say: “I am also looking forward to participating in this again next summer.” If in three days into the workshops I was already thinking about doing it again, I know for sure that this was a great experience for me and I know it was for them, too.

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Investing in Our Future by Investing in Our Teachers Elenita Irizarry-Ramos, Ed.D Student Teaching is often an underpaid and systematically underappreciated calling. Teaching English, in a School System with various language policies through out history is an exceptionally daunting task.

Additionally, English teachers struggle in a school system where only 62% of high schoolers (Stetser & Stillwell, 2014) graduate on time. This is why it is always refreshing to see educators committed to honing their pedagogical skills. It is an even more commendable feat that different stakeholders like the Puerto Rico Education Council, the Educational Research Center and Education Faculty of the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, organized The Professional Development for Teachers of English to Secondary School Diverse Learners: Strategies for Integrating Art and Technology for Effective Communication. This was tailored specifically for teachers from the private and public school system in the San Juan I, II and III Region.

Teachers who attended this professional development are the type of educator every parent should want their child to have. They are unsung heroes who champion student improvement in the classroom. As a society, we should advocate for more educators with their level of commitment and professionalism. Educators who know for a fact know how Project Based Learning has long been used as a successful strategy in teaching English as a Second Language (Radzuwan, 2011; Berhanuddin, 2008) and spend their free time in workshops to effectively incorporate it in their lesson planning. Teachers, like our participants, who understand Vygotsky’s (1962) view of the Zone of Proximal Development, and how they as educators guide the student in order to maximize their “linguistic and cognitive capability” (Baker, 2011, p. 290 as cited in Lewis, 2012). Yes, every parent should hope that their child has a champion like every single one of our participants; English teachers who heighten students’ academic skills to ensure proficiency in both languages.

These pedagogues have effectively developed 21st century skills in their students. They developed academic resilience to endure school uncertainties and political whims. They went as far as to reexamine the importance of adapting the English Curriculum to incorporate socially relevant materials like Puerto Rican Literature and mastered Problem Based Learning as a teaching strategy. Undoubtedly, the most important achievement these teachers completed was developing their own authentic materials for the benefit of their students, and reflecting on their experience as teachers.

With this Manual, each one of these educators irrefutably reveals their commitment to enriching the English curriculum. They also offer colleagues an opportunity and an invitation to promote a champion

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mentality and fight for the education our children deserve and desperately need. In an environment where language and educational policies are ever-changing, English teachers are the unwavering pillars that ensure our children acquire and learn the necessary skills to function in a 21st century society. Driven educators like the ones who participated in this professional development are pivotal in reinventing and reinvigorating the English curriculum in Puerto Rico.

English teachers who participated in this project were willing to transform the dynamics of the design and implementation of lessons and provide an example for others to make a difference. From Planadeball’s intricate book of poems, Ejiofor and Muñiz’ resourceful Flat Stanley Journal, ChittendenRodríguez’ stunning Virtual Museum, Frontera, Cuevas and Rodriguez-Andino’s invigorating Conflict and Personal Memoirs, Velez’ stirring transcendentalism, Duprey and Arce’s attention-grabbing Neighborhood Discovery, Marrero-Huertas and Garcia-Velasco’s immersive Puerto Rican Folktales, Carballido’s Work Sample, Diaz-Diaz’ cunning integration of Art and Technology in order to improve 1st graders’ communicative competence The power of human creativity in the hands of these amazing pedagogues is simply astonishing.

Their reflections range from analyzing society’s perception of teaching, critizing social and capital inequality among underserved schools, stimulate students to become social gents for change in the fight to save the planet from global warming, and reflecting on their teaching practice and the pedogogical implications of incorporating the strategies they used in this profesional development. The following reflections evidence precisely how these educators transform the curriculm and inmerse themselves in the experience of developing authentic materials that will captivate their students. I invite you to examine each one of these lesson plans and reflecitons. I also invite you to consider your role in ensuring that our students have the best education possible.

It has been an absolute pleasure to witness the growth and experience these pedagogues have achieved throughout this professional development. I highly encourage and invite stakeholders to continue investing and perpetuating this culture of continuous learning among teachers, so our students can ceaselessly receive the latest pedagogical strategies that will not only benefit them, but society as a whole.

Let’s invest in our future, let’s invest in our teachers, let’s invest in learning!

References Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism (5th ed.). Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.

Berhanuddin, S. (2008). Problem-based learning for effective mastery of English language. Malaysian International Centre for English Language Teaching (MICELT) (pp. 1-10). Serdang: UPM. Lewis, G., Jones, B., & Baker, C. (in press). 100 bilingual lessons: Distributing two languages in classrooms. In C. Abello-Contesse & R. Chaco ́n Beltra ́n (Eds.), Bilingualism in a school setting. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.

Radzuwan, R. (2011). Problem-based learning in Tesl classroom: What? Why? How? Academic Conference (pp. 1-14). Bandung: UPIUiTM. Stetser, M., and Stillwell, R. (2014). Public High School Four-Year On-Time Graduation Rates and Event Dropout Rates: School Years 2010–11 and 2011–12. First Look (NCES 2014-391). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved [date] from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.

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Lessons Plans

Lesson Planning as a 21st Century Skill Valeria del Valle, M.A Candidate

Is designing a lesson plan a 21st century skill? The mandatory and institutionally regulated task of lesson planning might have become an overwhelming burden in an accelerated professional generation. Lesson planning should not be restricted and limited to an impermeable format or a rigid content based on grammar lessons and decontextualized drills and activities. The latest technological innovations allow teachers to incorporate the four language skills into the exploration of the virtual world to facilitate communication in the ESL classroom. The lesson plans presented in this manual integrate traditional methods and innovative activities. They merge literature and the mechanics of learning the pronunciation of the English language and its usage in the globalized world for the beneďŹ t of our younger generation.

Today, more than ever, our students are aware of the role of language in their social, cultural, and professional circles. These lesson plans were designed by transformative teachers to help their students use accurate descriptions of their interests and experiences. It was also an attempt to facilitate the understanding of the different literary movements that have at some point in history shaped the progress of Puerto Rican literature. The future of English in Puerto Rico lies in our students’ hands.

Through the lessons presented in this manual, the teachers intend to place all their senses and knowledge at the service of the community. The lessons show how to appreciate the wonders the English language offers.

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Lesson Plan 1: Acquisition of Communicative Competence Through Art, Technology, First Graders’ Experience Gil J. Díaz Díaz Grade: 1st Grade Theme: The Family Puerto Rico Common Core Standards and Expectations Listening 1.L.1.a,b,c,e a.

Ask and answer questions appropriate to the topic. b.

Use gestures and expressions to demonstrate engagement and understanding. c.

Listen and respond to simple commands and instructions or directions. d.

Listen and participate in rhymes, songs, chants Speaking 1.S.2.b. Use words, phrases and short sentences to express ideas for a variety of purposes.

1.S.3 Respond to conversations, read aloud, texts and oral presentations orally.

Reading 1.R.1 Describe key details based on understanding of a variety of grade level and read aloud texts.

Language 1.L.a.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations and read aloud.

Lesson Plan Day 1 Lesson Objective: Using pictures, the student will identify the members of the family correctly

Skills and concepts: Family Members DOK: Recall

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Academic Strategy: Exploration Language Experience Learning Activities: • Initial Activities: Routine 1. Numbers 1-70 2. Things in our house 3. I learn Vocabulary 4. Place family members pictures upside down on the desk. Ask students to select one picture and name who is he or she.

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Developmental Activities: 1. Repetition: This is a family. This is a father…

2. Song: My family a. Rhyme: This is the father…

3. Provide students with a set of family members pictures. Ask student to listen to the family member name the teacher will mention, to then choose and showthe correct picture.

Closing Activities: 1. The student will copy the names of the family members in the notebook.

2. The student will draw each of the family members.

Materials: Pictures, Flashcards, Notebooks Differentiated Instruction: Explain instructions several times. Provide examples.

Homework: Oral Speech: The Family Day 2 Lesson Objective: Students will identify the family members correctly.

Skills and concepts: Family Members DOK: Skill Concept Academic Strategy: Conceptualization, Language Experience Learning Activities • Initial Activities: Routine 1. Numbers 1-70 2. Things in our house 3. I learn Vocabulary a. The student will match the picture of the family member with the corresponding word. b. Song: My family c. Rhyme: This is the father.

• Developmental Activities: 1. The student will identify in a sheet exercise the family members.

2. Circle the word for the family member.

3. Write the word for the family member.

• Closing Activity: Students will do the printed sheet exercises in the board.

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Materials: Pictures, photocopy exercises Differentiated Instruction: Explain instructions several times. Provide examples.

Homework: Oral Speech: The Family Day 3 Lesson Objective: After reading a story about the family, the student will identify members of the family correctly Skills and concepts: Key details DOK: Skill Concept Academic Strategy: 1. Conceptualization 2. Read Aloud 3. Shared 4. Reading 5. Language 6. Experience Learning Activities • Initial Activities: Routine 1. Numbers 1-70 2. Things in our house 3. I learn Vocabulary 4. The student will repeat the family member name.

5. Song: My family.

6. Rhyme: This is the father… The student will write the word of the family member under the correct picture.

• Developmental Activities: 1.

Read the story aloud in group and individually.

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DO printed sheet exercise.

3.

Identify details by circling the correct answer.

• Closing Activity: 1. Discuss exercise.

Materials: Pictures, Photocopy, Exercises, Story: The Family Differentiated Instruction: Explain instructions several times. Provide examples.

Homework: Oral Speech: The Family Day 4 Lesson Objective: After doing a family tree, the student will identify the members of the family correctly.

Skills and concepts: Family members colors, school things, follow instructions

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DOK: Skill Concept Academic Strategy: 1. Application 2. Differentiated Instruction 3. Language Experience Learning Activities • Initial Activities: Routine 1. Numbers 1-70 2. Things in our house 3. I learn Vocabulary 4. Student will repeat the names of the family members.

5. Song: My family o Assessment: Family Tree o Write the family member name in the leaves • Developmental Activities: 1. Color the leaves Green.

2. Color the trunk brown.

3. The student will draw his/her hand in a paper and color them brown.

4. Cut the leaves trunk and hand through lines • Closing Activities: 1. The student will paste leaves, trunk and hand in a cardboard.

2. The student will present his/her family tree.

Materials: Photocopied leaves, trunk, paper, cardboards, crayons, scissors, glue Differentiated Instruction: Explained instructions several times. Provide examples.

Homework: Oral Speech: The Family Day 5 Lesson Objective: Student will identify the members of his/her family correctly.

Skills and Concepts: Oral Communication DOK: Strategic Thinking Academic Strategy: Application Learning Activities • Initial Activities: Routine 1. Numbers 1-70 2. Things in our house 3. I learn Vocabulary -The student will repeat the family members.

4. Song: My family 5. Rhyme: This is the family…

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Developmental Activity: 1. Student will read aloud the written special project about his/her family given before to do at home.

2. Oral Speech to be evaluated using a rubric. (Performance task) Closing Activity: 1. A student will walk around the room, select a family from his/her fellow friends and compare it to his/her family.

Materials: Hanger and family pictures or drawings to construct a hanger family member mobile.

Photocopied rubric.

Differentiated Instruction: Adapted Teaching

Family member ďŹ nger puppets

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Lesson Plan 2: Believe You Can! Caridad Carballido Romero Grade: 4th Grade Themes: 21st Century Skills Puerto Rico Common Core Standards and Expectations Listening 4.L.1 Listen and interact with peers during social interactions, read-alouds, oral presentations, and class, group, and partner discussions. a. Listen attentively, stay focused, ask/answer detailed questions, and express appropriate reasons using personal experience and some textual evidence. b. Interact in a socially appropriate manner through verbal and nonverbal communication. c. Listen, give, and respond to complex instructions and directions. d. Listen and respond during read-alouds to a variety of narrative and informational texts. e. React or answer the 5W questions in formal and informal discussions using a physical or verbal response.

1. 21st Century Learners

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2. 21st Century Skills Outcomes

21st Century students must be: -Critical thinkers -Problem solvers -Good communicators -Good collaborators -Information and technology literate -Flexible and adaptable -Innovative and creative -Globally competent -Financially literate

3. Using Authentic Videos in ESL Classroom

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4. Cooperative Learning ESL Teaching

5. Enhancing Reading Comprehension

6. Enhancing Writing Strategies7.

Take me to the Concert!

Reection

I’ve learned that students will always remember the way you make them feel, be loved and respected.

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Lesson Plan 3: Being Puerto Rican Through Folktales Ilda T. García Velasco Grade: 7th Grade Theme: Transversal Themes: Cultural Identity Unit 7.1: Being Puerto Rican Through Folktales Integration: Social Studies, Art and Spanish Puerto Rico Common Core Standards and Expectations

Speaking 7.S.1 Contribute to class, group, and partner discussions by following turn-taking, asking relevant questions, concurring with others, adding relevant information, and paraphrasing key ideas from read texts or presentations/discussions/performances.

Listening 7.L.1.d Listen and collaborate with peers during social and academic interactions in class, group, and partner discussions in read-a-louds, oral presentations, and a variety of grade-appropriate topics: (d) Listen, respond to, and analyze complex instructions and statements; apply and clarify instructions and directions; answer and formulate closed and open-ended questions.

Reading 7.R.1 Read a variety of texts and multimedia resources (when accessible) to explain ideas, facts, events, cultural identity, genre, and processes, supplying textual evidence and connections/relationships to support analysis and conclusions. Recognize fact vs. opinion and fiction vs. nonfiction as well as facts/ supporting details from the texts.

Writing 7.W.3 Write paragraphs, short essays, and literary texts using transitional words and other cohesive devices to better organize writing that develop real or imagined experiences or events, using literary elements like narrative structure, theme, mood, plot, setting, moral, etc.

7.W.4 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, drafting, revising, editing, use editing marks, rewriting, and publishing.

7.W.8 Write routinely for short and extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision)

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for a variety of discipline specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. This includes, but is not limited to, narrative, persuasive, and descriptive writing and knowledge of their qualities.

Language 7.LA.2b- Demonstrate command of the conventions of English grammar: (b) Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences when speaking and writing.

Objectives: -Students reflect on what it means to be Puerto Rican through discussion and writing of personal narratives and folktales.

Activity # 1: Brainstorming of what it means to be Puerto Rican -Students created lists and drawings of things they considered to be very Puerto Rican.

Activity # 2: Students and teacher read “Vejigante Masquerader “by Lulu Delacre -Assessment: After reading and discussing the story students researched information about the Ponce Carnival and the Loiza Carnival.

-Students canned a character.

-Students presented their characters to the class.

-Students had to create a profile with a description of the character some of them went further and created stories.

-Students exhibited their work at the School’s library.

Activity Pictures:

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Conclusion: Due to the opportunity of participating in this wonderful project, I feel very empowered. I have learned new theories, models, and strategies to apply in my classroom. Also, I have learned that some of the things I have been doing are on point and representative of the 21st century. I feel my students have beneďŹ ted from the materials and techniques acquired during the workshops. I have big plans for next semester to continue applying and learning along with my students. A special thank you to the doctors and professors who have been so eager in sharing their knowledge, ideas, time, and practices with us. I will be forever grateful. I can say I have been very inspired, which was much needed. Thank You!

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Lesson Plan 4: Being Puerto Rican through Folktales Lilliam Marrero Huertas

Grade: 7th Grade Theme: Vegigantes Unit 7.1: Being Puerto Rican Through Folktales Integration: Social Studies, Art and Spanish

P.R. Common Core Standards and Expectations Listening 7.L1.b Follow turn-taking and show consideration by concurring with others in discussions Class discussion of topic “What does it mean to be Puerto Rican?�

Writing 7.W.8 Write routinely for short and extended time frames (purposes, and audiences).

Speaking 7.S.1 Contribute to class, group, and partner discussions by following turn-taking, asking relevant questions, concurring with others, adding relevant information, and paraphrasing key ideas from read texts or presentations/discussions/performances.

7.S.4 Reach an agreement or persuade others in conversations using learned phrases and creative or original responses.

Reading 7.R.10 Read and comprehend a variety of literature, including stories.

Language 7.LA.1b Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences when speaking and writing.

Transversal Themes: Folktales, Cultural Background, Connections Depth of Knowledge: As the students work in the project, they will encounter: Skill / Concept, Strategic Thinking and Extended Thinking

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Objectives: After brainstorming about what does it mean to be Puerto Rican, the student will:

o Identify costumes and traditions that identify us as Puerto Rican or Boricua. o Make a collage of the map of Puerto Rico with pictures, phrases and Anglicisms o Write and say about what he/she makes him/her unique as a Puerto Rican o Read and discuss the story Vejigante Masquerader by Lulu Delacre o Prepare a vejigante mask with an artisan Materials: cardboards, markers, pictures of Puerto Rico, dictionaries, internet, the book Vejigante Masquerader, nuts, toothpicks, acrylic paints, cotton, crazy glue, magnets Activities: Initial: I always start my class with a greeting and asking my students how they feel. Then, I take attendance.

One of the students brings a written reflection, if not, a motivational video is presented. After this, I present the topic for the day and make a summary of the activities to be held in the week. I have a big calendar next to the door where I write the activities for the month.

Developmental: 1. The teacher will ask students what makes them Puerto Rican and unique. It could be in words, phrases, or sayings.

2. The students will form groups of three to complete the map that identifies them Puerto Rican.

3. Students will participate reading the story, Vejigante Masquerader, aloud and discuss each page.

Students will take notes on the events of the story.

4. Students will apply what they have learned about being Puerto Rican, what is unique about them, and about vejigantes, in terms of color, meaning, and culturally speaking. An artisan from the Compañía de Fomento Industrial will demonstrate to the students how to make a vejigante mask for the refrigerator.

Closing: 1. Before leaving, students will say “something” about being unique as a Puerto Rican.

2. After finishing the map, each group will have to present and explain their findings about their identity as a Puerto Rican.

3. Student will answer comprehension and analytical questions based on their findings in the Internet and inferences from the story read.

4. Students will exhibit their masks during Puerto Rico Week.

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Reflection Participating in this project has made me happier. I have learned a lot. Driving every day from Coamo, and others from Villalba, Barranquitas, Orocovis, and Aibonito to Río Piedras was a big challenge, but I wanted to and made it. I know it was a big sacrifice, but rewarding! I don’t regret anything, not even the loss of sleep, the gasoline, or the car ride, because what I was looking for was what I got, beautiful experiences with wonderful professors, delicious meals, lunch, and excellent colleagues!

I finished the project in summer full of so “many things”. The last day, June 26, 2015 I traveled to Puerto Plata in Dominican Republic, and you know what? I took Stanley with me, and took pictures since I arrived at the airport. I didn’t mind who was looking. I was just eager to start applying and practicing what I had learned! Whatever the professors had given us, had told us or shared with us, I took it as part of: I HAVE TO DO THIS! How? I’ll see…

When August arrived, I had activities wandering in my head. I worked with what Prof. Cristina had shared with us, “cooperative games” and material, Prof. Elsie with the 21st Century Skills, Prof. Vigimaris with the Poetry book, Prof. Carmen Torres with Flat Stanley and the vejigantes, and Prof. Anibal Muñoz with technology in action, videos, music, radio, among others.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to help me keep on loving what I knew, to LOVE TEACHING! I hope to participate again; no matter if it’s in La China, I’ll go!

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Lesson Plan 5: My Book of Poems Sherly Ann Planadeball

Grade: 7th Grade Theme: Figurative Language Devices Unit 1: Finding your own place Puerto Rico Common Core Standards and Expectations Listening/Speaking -Listens and responds to a variety of fiction and nonfiction texts (poems) Reading - Distinguishes between literal and figurative language - Identifies imagery and elements of poetry - Describes the impact of word choice, imagery and poetic devices Writing -Uses a variety of prewriting strategies (for example brainstorming and graphic organizers) Objective: After reading a selection of poems, the student will: 1. define the elements of poetry 2. identify figurative language 3. construct a variety of poems.

Activities: 1. Present a PowerPoint Presentation about Figurative Language Devices.

2. Read the figurative language booklet.

3. Listen to the song “Firework” by Katy Perry and identify the figurative devices in the lyrics.

4. Practice exercises identifying similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, alliteration, and onomatopoeia.

5. Writing project “My Book of Poems” (I Am Poem, Haiku, Diamond and Portrait poem).

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Activities: Power Point Presentation about Figurative Language Devices 1. Figurative Language is… a. Whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else. b. Expressing ideas indirectly. c. Language used in a special way to create a special effect made up of words and phrases, which do not mean what they first appear to mean.

2. Examples where Figurative Language is used… a. “I miss you like the sky misses the sun at night,” means that: I miss you a lot. b. “The car runs as a cheetah on the jungle.: means that the car is fast. c. “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” means that: A person wants to eat a lot of food. d. “I’ve told you a million times to clean your room!” means that: The person has said that repeatedly. a. Similes and Identifying the Similes

b. Metaphor and Examples

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c. PersoniďŹ cation Gives human characteristics to non-human objects or animals.

Ex: My teddy bear gave me a hug.

Can teddy bears hug?

d. Hyperbole An exaggeration that is so dramatic that no one would believe the statement is true.

Ex: He was so hungry, he could eat a cow.

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e.

Alliteration The repetition of the same initial letter, sound, or group of sounds in a series of words. Alliteration includes tongue twisters.

Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.

f. Onomatopoeia The use of a word to describe or imitate a natural sound or the sound made by an object or an action.

Example: The gum pops in my mouth.

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Activities: Listen to the song ”Firework” by Katty Perry and identify the figurative devices in it using the lyrics.

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Students’ Work:

Reflection I am very thankful for the opportunity that I was given to be part of these workshops. I have learned many techniques, strategies and activities that help me to enrich my classes. I have used most of the techniques learned and others I will use them in the course. Certainly, I have noticed an improvement in my students because their motivation toward my class has increased and I have heard that they love it “because I do many different activities”. My Book of Poems is one of many activities that I have already done with my students, but I chose to present it because they experienced personal growth at the end of it. With everything I have learned, I am ready to be a teacher of 21st century students, adapted to their needs and interests, and being an agent of motivation and inspiration for them.

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Lesson Plan 6: Flat Stanley Patricia Ejiofor and Roxana Muñiz

Grade: 7th and 8th Grade Theme: Conventions of English grammar P.R. Common Core Standards and Expectations

Language 8.LA.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of English grammar.

Writing 7.W.2 Write informational texts to examine and analyze topics and convey ideas independently using appropriate text organization.

8.W.2 Write informational texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

Reading 7.R.1 Read a variety of texts and multimedia resources (when accessible) to explain ideas, facts, events, cultural identity, genre, and processes, supplying textual evidence and connections/relationships to support analysis and conclusions. Recognize fact vs. opinion and fiction vs. nonfiction as well as facts/ supporting details from the texts.

8.R.1 Read a variety of grade-level texts and multimedia resources (when available) to explain ideas, phenomena, processes, cultural identity, genre, and text relationships, supplying textual evidence to support analysis and conclusions drawn from the text. Recognize fact vs. opinion and fiction vs. nonfiction as well as facts/supporting details from the texts.

Connection with Art Taxonomy Level: Level One (Recall) Lesson Process

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Materials: Flat Stanley Templates, Notebook, Access to a Camera, Phones or computer, Flat Stanley Templates Developmental Activities: Students will: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Personalize Flat Stanley. (Classroom activity) Ask parents to do activities where they include Flat Stanley, such as cooking together or going on a trip Take a picture of parents, family member and/or student doing an activity with Flat Stanley.

Write 5 sentences explaining the activity or activities done that day in their Journals.

Student Samples Grade: 7 School Year: 2015

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Escuela de la Comunidad Pachín Marín Región San Juan Distrito Escolar San Juan II 8th grade Miss P. Ejiofor Flat Stanley Friday/Weekend Activities 1.

DIRECTIONS

entries

Decorate your flat Stanley and every Friday and Weekends keep a journal

2.

documenting the places and activities that you did with your family in which Flat caption of five complete sentences explaining where you are and what you did with Flat Stanley and family.

3.

Last entry: December 4, 2015

4.

Turn in date for last entry: December

Journal Entry Grading Rubric

____/4 Name: ____/4

____/4 Decoration: ____/4 Entries: ____/4 Submission Dates: ____/4

11, 2015

Excellent (4)

Good (3)

Fair (2)

Poor (1)

All entries have titles

10 entries have titles

Only 8 entries have titles

7 or more entries do not have titles

Name was written on Journal

N/A

Name was not written on Journal

Wrote captions for 8 pictures/ drawings and explained some of the activities

Wrote captions for 7 or less pictures/ drawings and/or did not explain some of the activities

Included pictures/drawings in each entry

A total of 10 A total of 8 pictures/drawings pictures/drawings in journal

7 or less pictures/ drawings

Flat Stanley was colored and decorated

Flat Stanley was good enough

Flat Stanley was not decorated

Flat Stanly was not used

10 entries

9-8 entries

7-6 entries

5-4 entries

Turned in journals by due date

Journal entries were turned in late two times

Always turn in the entries late

Did not turn in entries.

N/A

Wrote caption for each Captions/Sentences: picture/drawing explaining the activities in complete ____/4 sentences Pictures:

Must include Flat Stanley in all the Activities

Stanley is included. Take pictures or draw your activities with flat Staley. Write a

Title:

The Journal should have a total of 10

Wrote captions for ten pictures/ drawings and explained the activities in complete sentences

Total Score ___/28

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Lesson Plan 7: Virtual Museum Christine Chittenden Rodríguez

Grade: 9th Grade Topic: Field Trip Theme: Research project P.R. Common Core Standards and Expectations Writing 9.W.6 Conduct short research projects to write reports that answer a thesis question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to raise students’ awareness of issues of the past and present and help them imagine alternatives for the future.

Objectives: The student will…

1. Visit a Virtual Museum 2. Write a compare/contrast essay Opening Activities: 1. Routine activities 2. Explore what is a museum 3. Brainstorm on what to expect of a visit to a museum 4. Discuss the characteristics of a museum Development activities: 1. Have students visit a virtual museum on the internet 2. Have students meet in small groups to discuss their findings 3. Have students answer a few questions about the experience Closing activities: 1. Have students orally reflect on the activity 2. Have students make connections of the virtual museum to a real one 3. Have students collaboratively write a compare/contrast essay 4. Correct the essays

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Assessments: 1. Virtual museum’s ďŹ eldtrip 2. Collaborative discussion 3. Compare/contrast essay Resources: 1. Smart Board 2. Power Point 3. Portfolio 4. Computer 5. http://www.mnh.si.edu/panoramas/ Conclusions: The Professional Development Program has been a wonderful experience. Thanks, professors for all you have taught me! Thanks, classmates for all we have shared! After this experience, I feel I am a better teacher.

Activity Pictures:

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Lesson Plan 8

Lesson Plan 8: Conflict Nancy Cardona Frontera, Lilliam Cuevas Negrón & Ilia S. Rodríguez Andino

Grade: 10th Grade Theme: Conflict Unit 10.1 Puerto Rico Common Core Standards and Expectations Language 10.LA.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Writing 10.W.1 Justify opinions and positions using valid reasoning and sufficient evidence. a. Express, clarify, and defend viewpoints and opinions, be able to state or justify arguments, with support of the thesis statement and claims.

Reading 10.R.5 L. Analyze how an author’s choices about structure of a literary text, order of events within it (e.g., parallel plots), create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

Specific Objectives: During the week, the students will: 1. explore the theme of conflict in literature. a. read a variety of literature in which characters face conflict.

2. Read the story “Zlateh the Goat” by Isaac Bashevis Singer.

3. Identify the different types of conflict in the story.

4. Research Jewish traditions.

Procedure: Activities: Initial Students will define and identify the different types of conflict in literature, such as (1) Internal/ external, (2) Man vs. nature, and (3) Man vs. self

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Routine Activities: 1. Students will read the story along with the teacher.

2. Students will analyze the types of conict encountered by the characters.

3. Students will research Jewish traditions.

Closing Activity 1. Student will work on a variety of exercises from a handout provided by the teacher.

2. Students will write a paragraph.

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Lesson Plan 9: Personal Memories Nancy Cardona Frontera, Lilliam Cuevas Negrón & Ilia S. Rodríguez Andino

Grade: 11th Grade Theme: Music Memoirs and Personal Narative Unit 11.1 P.R. Common Core Standards and Expectations Language 11.LA.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. a. Vary syntax for effect, consulting references for guidance as needed.

Writing 11.W.3 Write narratives (short stories, memoirs, and journals) using transitional words and other cohesive devices to better organize writing to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, targeted details, and well-structured sequences.

Reading 11.R.4 L. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

Depth of Knowledge: Level Three (Strategic Thinking) Specific Objectives: During the week, the students will: 1. Choose a song and analyze the lyrics.

2. Write a personal narrative about a moment in their lives that the chosen song reminds them of.

3. Create a video using the song to present their memoir.

Activities: Initial

The student will listen to a song played by the teacher.

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Development Activities: 1. The student will analyze the lyrics of the song presented by the teacher.

2. The student will work on vocabulary and meaning according to the song.

3. The student will create his/her music memoir (personal narrative).

4. The student will use personal or web searched images related to the song and the narrative they want to share to create his/her memoir.

Closing Activity 1. The student will create a video with music and images.

2. The student will add captions using the lyrics from the music to tell his/her narrative.

3. The student will share with the class: - Why they chose the song.

- A summary of the song.

- What event in their life the song reminds them of.

The Project Assignment Part I. Video to be sent via email Choose a song in English that tells a story that you can relate to. A similar moment in your life must be reflected in the lyrics of this song.

You will create a video (you can use Windows Movie Maker- free, or the phone apps Video Show, or Viva Video).

Part I. The video Title page (your OWN title) Minimum 15 different images related to lyrics Credits (your complete name, grade/group, teacher’s name, date, title of song (original), Name of artist, extra* (name of person that helped you- if any).

No sexual, violent, or drug related lyrics or images will be accepted!

Part II. The written part Write two to three complete paragraphs (minimum five sentences).

1st paragraph: Summarize the song. What is the song about?

2nd paragraph: Write your memoir based on the lyrics. (Your story) Why did you choose this song?

3rd What event in your life does it remind you of?

Computer typed: Times New Roman, font size 12, double-spaced, black ink.

Part III. The Oral Presentation The student shares with the class: - Why they chose the song.

- Summary of the song.

- What event in their life the song reminds them of.

Music Memoirs Other work: “Watch the show and answer.”

Word Categories Adjectives

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Vocabulary deďŹ nitions and translations.

Creating original sentences.

Personal Narrative My Illustrated Autobiography Objective: During the week, the student will: Research information about a famous person from Puerto Rico by reading a biography or an autobiography of the person.

Procedure Initial Activity The student will discuss the most important parts of a biography and an autobiography.

Development Activity 1. The student will select a famous person to research.

1. The student will read the famous person’s biography or autobiography.

Closing Activity The student will create an illustrated autobiography by using an adapted handout provided by the teacher.

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Lesson Plan 10: Transcendentalism Nedinia Velez

Grade: 11th Grade Theme: Transcendentalism Depth of Knowledge: Level Three (Strategic Thinking) Objectives: During the week, the student will: 1. create a book that expresses and recreates the thoughts, ideas, and experience of Transcendentalism.

2. select and explain 5 aphorisms.

3. select and explain 2 song lyrics and how it reects transcendental ideas and how it impacts his/her life.

4. take a series of photographs or cut out pictures that capture the spirit of the Transcendentalists.

5. write an essay on nature.

6. create a cover for the book.

Procedure: Initial Activity The student will read and understand more about Transcendentalism on the internet http://wiki. answers.com/Q/What_is_transcendentalism&src=ansTT or you may go to http://plato.stanford. edu?entries/transcendentalism/ Development Activities: 1. The student will analyze the aphorisms selected.

2. The student will analyze the lyrics of the song selected.

3. The student will take photos or select web searched images that relate to Transcendentalism.

4. The student will write an essay on nature.

5. The student will create a cover for the book on Transcendentalism.

Closing Activity The student will share with the class: their work.

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Transcendentalist Project Transcendentalism is defined as “a movement in nineteenth-century American literature and thought. It called on people to view the objects in the world as small versions of the whole universe and to trust their individual intuitions”. There are many different interpretations for the meaning of transcendentalism.

Transcendentalism is all about being you, and speaking your mind. Transcendentalism is about the child, and molding their minds. Transcendentalism is anti-conformity and pro-individualism. http://wiki. answers.com/Q/What_is_transcendentalism&src=ansTT or you may go to http://plato.stanford.edu/ entries/transcendentalism/ to read and understand more about this literary movement.

Task To become more familiar with Transcendental Literature, you will be creating a book that expresses and recreates the thoughts, ideas and experience of Transcendentalism.

Your booklet will contain: • Five (5) aphorisms: For each aphorism, you should include an explanation of what the quote means, and how it is important in your life. Provide examples. (This should be about one paragraph long.) (25 points) • Two (2) song lyrics: For each song lyric, you will also include an explanation of how it reflects transcendental ideas, and how it impacts your life. (20 points) • One (1) original photo essay/collage: Take a series of photographs or cut out pictures that capture the spirit of the Transcendentalists. Your artwork must capture the spirit of the Transcendentalists. This could be in the form of a collage, a photo essay, a drawing, or any other type of artistic medium. Try to convey the feeling that their writing expresses. For example, you may choose pictures of lakes, ponds and forests to show the experiences of Thoreau in Walden.

Use quotations as captions for some of your photos. Please note that the photographs should be your own. (10 points) • One (1) nature essay: Spend one hour alone closely observing nature. You might go to a forest preserve or sit in your own back yard. Write an essay describing your thoughts and feelings. (20 points) You may organize your booklet by theme (materialism, self-reliance, individualism, nature, simplicity, nonconformity, government, etc.) or just by quotes that are meaningful to you. You may use a binder, scrapbook, or create your own individual book. Please remember to: • Make a cover and decorate it appropriately.

• There should be one page per quotation/lyric/collage/essay/etc.

• Be sure to give credit to the songwriters.

Remember the tenets of transcendental thoughts: • Nonconformity • Self-Reliance • Confidence (trusting your intuition) • Civil Disobedience (not supporting law/policy that is contrary to your nature) • Importance of Nature (looking for something spiritual here) • Favoring Intuition over Reason • Simplify, Simplify, Simplify! – you can also consider this in light of questioning progress that is at the detriment of the human condition/spirit.

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Colegio San Jose English Department 2015-2016 Name: ________________________

Date: _________________________

Course: Ame Lit 11-1 Topic/Unit: Transcendentalism Score: _____/ 75=____% Teacher’s Name: Ms. Nedinia Velez Due date: December 11, 2015

What is Success?

To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty; To ďŹ nd the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; This is to have succeeded.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Transcendentalism Project 75 points Name:___________________________________ Evaluator: Nedinia Velez

Binder/Cover Presentation

Categories

[Points____/5] _ Binder or cover is neat and clean and has a colorful and creative presentation. _ Binder or cover is neat and clean and has but has no creative decoration. _ Binder or cover should be neater and has no creative decoration. _ No binder or cover is used.

Aphorism 1 [Points____/5] _ The aphorism is on a separate page. An explanation that includes a good amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected. Very few grammatical mistakes. _ The aphorism is not on a separate page but there is an explanation that includes a good amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected. Very few grammatical mistakes. _ An explanation that includes some amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected but more should be added. Some grammatical mistakes. _ An explanation that includes little details, very little dealing directly with the quotes. Several mistakes in grammar that affects the work.

Aphorism 2 [Points____/5] _ The aphorism is on a separate page. An explanation that includes a good amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected. Very few grammatical mistakes. _ The aphorism is not on a separate page but there is an explanation that includes a good amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected. Very few grammatical mistakes. _ An explanation that includes some amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected but more should be added. Some grammatical mistakes. _ An explanation that includes little details, very little dealing directly with the quotes. Several mistakes in grammar that affects the work.

Aphorism 3 [Points____/5] _ The aphorism is on a separate page. An explanation that includes a good amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected. Very few grammatical mistakes. _ The aphorism is not on a separate page but there is an explanation that includes a good amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected. Very few grammatical mistakes.

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_ _

An explanation that includes some amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected but more should be added. Some grammatical mistake An explanation that includes little details, very little dealing directly with the quotes. Several mistakes in grammar that affects the work

Aphorism 4 [Points____/5] _ The aphorism is on a separate page. An explanation that includes a good amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected. Very few grammatical mistakes. _ The aphorism is not on a separate page but there is an explanation that includes a good amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected. Very few grammatical mistakes. _ An explanation that includes some amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected but more should be added. Some grammatical mistakes. _ An explanation that includes little details, very little dealing directly with the quotes. Several mistakes in grammar that affects the work.

Aphorism 5 [Points____/5] _ The aphorism is on a separate page. An explanation that includes a good amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected. Very few grammatical mistakes. _ The aphorism is not on a separate page but there is an explanation that includes a good amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected. Very few grammatical mistakes. _ An explanation that includes some amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected but more should be added. Some grammatical mistakes _ An explanation that includes little details, very little dealing directly with the quotes. Several mistakes in grammar that affects the work.

Songs [Points___/20] _ The song is on a separate page. An explanation that includes a good amount of details, dealing with the songs selected. Very few grammatical mistakes. The songwriter is credited. _ The song is not on a separate page but there is an explanation that includes a good amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected. Very few grammatical mistakes. _ The songwriter is credited. _ An explanation that includes some amount of details, dealing with the quotes selected but more should be added. Some grammatical mistakes. _ The songwriter is not credited. _ An explanation that includes little details, very little dealing directly with the quotes. Several mistakes in grammar that affects the work.

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Photo-essay/collage [Points__/10] _ All of the graphics or objects used in the collage reflect a degree of student creativity in their display and the themes _ Most of the graphics or objects used in the collage reflect student creativity in their display. _ Only a few graphics or objects reflect student creativity, but the ideas were typical rather than creative. _ None of the graphics or objects reflects student creativity.

Grammar and Spelling and sentence structure (fragments and run-ons.)

[Points_____/10] _ Work has few misspellings or major grammatical errors so as to impede reader’s understanding. _ Work has some misspellings and/or major grammatical errors which slightly impede reader’s understanding. _ Work has several misspellings and/or major grammatical errors, impeding the reader’s understanding. _ Work has a great number of spelling errors and major grammatical errors which impede reader’s understanding.

Punctuality [Points____/5] _ On time _ Handed in after class _ Handed in one day late _ Handed in more than one day late.

TOTAL: ____ /75

GRADE:

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The Hobbit Final Project DIRECTIONS 1. Choose one of the projects below, or propose your own idea to Mrs. Lee. 2. Design a presentation that reflects a thorough understanding of The Hobbit and your topic.

3. Your project should be consistent with the information in the novel. Be original and creative – your ideas should NOT be copied directly from the movie.

GRADING: _ 20% Presentation

TEST GRADE (100 points)

_ 20% Skill

_ 20% Effort

_ 20% Creativity _ 20% Accuracy DUE DATE:

Tuesday, April 29th

PROJECT IDEAS 1. Book Poster Create a color poster to advertise the book. Pretend this poster would hang in a bookstore. It should entice people to want to read the book. It must be at least a half-size poster board, but no larger than a full-size poster board. Include artistic depictions of the characters, some major scenes, etc. Fill the entire poster. Look at other book posters for ideas. Artwork will be graded heavily and it must be original.

2. Book Cover Create an original book cover for The Hobbit. It should include the title, author, and an illus-tration.

Remember, the purpose of a book cover is to attract buyers. Look at other book co-vers for layout and design ideas. It must be on a half-size poster board. Artwork will be graded heavily, and it must be original.

3. Thror’s Map Create a replica of Thror’s map, including the runic messages. The map should be aged and worn (i.e. stained with tea or coffee).

Computer-generated work will not be allowed.

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4. 3-D Model Construct a 3-D model of Bilbo’s hobbit hole, Elrond’s homely house, or the Lonely Moun-tain. Carefully read the descriptions of these places in the book in order to create an accu-rate model.

5. Monster Art Create an artistic depiction of Smaug, the Goblin King, the Trolls, or Gollum. You may use any medium (paint, clay, ink, pastels, crochet, computer-generated, etc.) Use knowledge gained from the text and your own research. Be prepared to discuss the knowledge used to create your masterpiece when presenting to the class.

6. Sword Art Recreate an artistic depiction of Orcrist, Glamdring, or Sting. You may use any medium choice (paint, clay, ink, wood, metal, computer-generated, etc.) Use knowledge gained from the text and your own research. Be prepared to discuss the knowledge used to create your masterpiece when presenting to the class.

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7. Character Art Draw or paint a detailed picture of a character in the story. We should be able to see from the picture something about the personality/nature of the character. The background should reect an event in which your character participated. Fill your paper!

8. Travel Brochure Pretend you are a travel agent and you want to promote tours of Hobbiton or any other place in the story.

Make a colorful travel brochure of the place. How would you sell it as a good place to visit? What and who would visitors want to see? It should be on 8 ½ x 11 pa-per, tri-folded. You may either hand make it or create it on a computer.

9. Sewing Sew a costume for one of the characters in the story. Use the descriptions in the book to help you get started, then use your imagination. Do not merely copy a costume from the movie. You must wear your costume on the day of presentation.

10. Character Speech Choose one character from The Hobbit. Write a 2-minute speech from his/her/its perspective.

Dress like the character and deliver your speech to the class. You may use index cards during your speech, but you may not read it word-forword from paper. You do not have to memorize the speech, but you should have rehearsed it to the point where you only need to glance down occasionally at your index cards.

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11. Act Out Act out a scene from the book. All actors should be in costume. Characters must speak clearly and with expression. Props and action should be accurate and interesting. Dramatic ability will be graded heavily.

12. The Hobbit Musical Composition Compose music for one of the many songs that Tolkien included in The Hobbit. It must be an original tune of your own creation. You may sing a cappella, play an instrument, or sing and play. The piece may be pre-recorded or performed live. The presentation must not exceed 5 minutes in length. Musical skill will be graded heavily 13. The Hobbit Musical Cover Cover an existing song that is from or related to The Hobbit films (Ex.: Misty Mountain song, or Ed Sheeran’s, I See Fire). The piece may be pre-recorded or performed live and may not exceed five minutes in length. Simplified arrangements are acceptable, but musical skill will be graded heavily.

14. Write a Chapter Make up your own Bilbo Baggins adventure. Your chapter must be titled, typed in MLA format, and a minimum of 500 words. Your chapter must include an adventure or encounter with a creature that you have created, but would fit in Tolkien’s, Legendarium.

15. Christianity & The Hobbit There are many parallels between the events/characters in this story and the Christian life. Make a detailed chart that identifies and thoroughly explains at least 10 parallels between The Hobbit and Christianity. It must be typed and in complete sentences (headings are allowed).

16. Themes & Motifs Write a 500 word essay on one of the themes or motifs in The Hobbit. Include several examples from the book. Choose from the themes and motifs listed in the back of your book.

17. Character Analysis Write a character analysis of one of the following characters: Bard, Beorn, Gandalf, Smaug, Thorin, Gollum, or Bilbo.

Write a paragraph for each of the following categories: physical appearance, personality, role in the story, strengths, weaknesses, and your evaluation/opinion of the character. Each category should include one example from the book, including page numbers.

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Reflections Every time I take the workshops in the UPR, I know that I will learn wonderful strategies that I can use with my students. The professors impart so much knowledge and my fellow colleagues are so talented that I learn from them as well. Two years ago, I took the workshop and I still employ the strategies I learned then. I had an amazing time seeing how my students became involved in their learning.

The variety of strategies enabled my students to enrich their knowledge. This workshop, Professional Development for English Teachers of 21st Century Learners: Enticing ESL students to Acquire Communicative Competence through Art and Technology, taught me new strategies, which I find amazing. For example, I especially liked the strategies given to us by Professor Anibal Muñoz. The documentary, video, and music concert workshop were excellent! I enjoyed the activity in which they listened to live radio stations, watched sitcoms, or watched talk shows in order to familiarize themselves with idiomatic and colloquial expressions. I have tweaked the rubrics he provided for us in order to fit my students’ needs.

This program has taught me to think outside the box. I wished my teachers had had workshops like these when I was growing up. The idea of using music to help us in creative writing is a great idea, yet I didn’t think it would work, since my student population is solely 15-17 year old boys. When I began playing music during my free writing activities, my students were less than thrilled and wanted to listen to their music, since they were only allowed to listen to the music I played. However, after awhile, they quieted down and wrote in silence for five minutes and some even asked for a few more minutes!

The use of art and allowing my students choose the project that best enabled them to excel also worked wonders. I gave them a list of activities and they were to choose the project that would allow me to see their talents. Some chose art, others music (I even had a couple of rap songs of The Hobbit!), origami, snow globes, maps, swords, movie posters, and 3-D models. As a graduate of the Humanities Department in the UPR, I like to encourage my students to link art, history, music, and culture in order to enrich their experience when reading literature. I bring songs that are related to the story and that they can identify with. Imagine their faces when I played Tupac’s Momma to introduce Sundiata’s Epic. I wanted to have them dabble in creating a graphic novel of any piece that we might read in the future. It would be a great idea to adopt the Flat Stanley concept with my students as well. I believe that they can create some interesting stories. The idea that my students can become more globally conscious individuals learning in a holistic manner and understand that there is so much more than just Puerto Rico is worth the brainstorming when I prepare for my classes.

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▼ ▼▼ ▼ Lesson Plan 11

Lesson Plan 11: Discovering my Neighborhood Elizabeth Duprey &María Arce Grade: 11th Grade Theme: Identity Unit 11.2 Puerto Rico Common Core Standards and Expectations Language 11.LA.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. a. Vary syntax for effect, consulting references for guidance as needed Writing 11.W.3 Write narratives (short stories, memoirs, and journals) using transitional words and other cohesive devices to better organize writing to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, targeted details, and well-structured sequences.

Reading 11.R.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

Depth of Knowledge: Level Three (Strategic Thinking) The National Reading Panel’s analysis mentioned that the best approach to reading instruction is one that incorporates: (1) Explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, (2) Systematic phonics instruction, (3) Methods to improve fluency, and (4) Ways to enhance comprehension.

The five (5) building blocks of literacy development are: (1) Phonemic awareness, (2) Phonics, (3) Vocabulary, (4) Instruction, (5) Fluency, and (6) Comprehension. Implementing these strategies in the classroom, promotes reading comprehension to help students understand what they read.

Objectives: During the week, the student will: 1.

2.

3.

analyze parts of the plot analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme explore and discuss possible characterizations and conflicts

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4.

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create and present a visual that illustrates a particular character using the geometric character analysis technique list geometric shapes to represent characters and arranging them on paper to suggest their interrelationships

Procedure: Initial Activity: Students will focus on parts of the plot and examine character development in a short story. Students will read a short story called, “Let’s Steal the Moon,” by Blanche Serwer-Bernstein.

Development Activities: 1. Students will work with the narrative structure, (exposition, inciting incident, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement or resolution) and character development of the story.

2. Students will work in a construction of a flip-flap book to help them better understand what they read.

3. Based on the story read, “Let’s Steal the Moon,” students will use the Flip- Flap book to illustrate story elements, (characters, setting, theme, and plot).

Closing Activity: Analyzing Characters--After discussing the names and personalities of several characters, the student will create and present a visual that illustrates a particular character using the geometric character analysis technique. By listing geometric shapes to represent characters and arranging them on paper to suggest their inter-relationships, students will explore and discuss possible characterizations and conflicts.

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Reflection: Geometric shapes really helped the students understand these characters on a whole new level. The teacher was able to evaluate the depth of understanding required to complete the project. Students gained better understanding of character development. Individually, they listed the characters and wrote about what their geometric design represented about each character. They explained color, shape, size, and placement, referring to specific details from the story.

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▼ ▼▼ ▼ Lesson Plan 12

Lesson Plan 12: My Journey So Far Nancy Cardona Frontera, Lilliam Cuevas Negrón & Ilia S. Rodríguez Andino Grade: 10th - 12th Grade Theme: Identity Unit 12.1 Puerto Rico Common Core Standards and Expectations autografos.tv

Language 12.LA.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. a. Apply the varied syntax rules for effect, consulting references for guidance as needed.

Writing 12.W.7 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Speaking 12.S.5 Apply language choices in different contexts for different purposes and audiences during speech deliverance. a. Use idiomatic expressions correctly. b. Use techniques for overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers to communication.

Reading 12.R.1 Evaluate, analyze, research/synthesize, and document inferences and conclusions drawn from indepth critical reading of appropriate texts and viewing of multimedia (when available). Examine ideas, increasingly complex phenomena, processes, genre, and relationships within and across texts. Recognize fact vs. opinion and fiction vs. nonfiction as well as facts/supporting details from the texts.

Connection with History Objectives: During the week, the students will: Research biographies of assigned eminent individuals and present their findings to the class.

Procedure Initial Activity The student will research the life of an important person in Puerto Rico assigned to him or her.

Development Activities: 1. The student will create a memoir for this person (personal narrative).

2. The student will use personal or web-searched images related to the individual and the narrative they want to share and portray in their story.

Closing Activity: Students will present part of their work during Puerto Rico Week in English.

Betances, El Antillano, is one of the famous people students will research.

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The Value of Engaging in Reflection Angélica Cortés Ortiz, M.A. Candidate

During the summer and fall semester of 2015, I had the opportunity to assist in the coordination of the Professional Development for English Teachers of 21st Century Learners: Enticing ESL Students to Acquire Communicative Competence through Art and Technology. As a Master’s student in educational research and evaluation, this experience was very rewarding. I met teachers from different private and public schools of Puerto Rico who have inspired me to be better in my educational activities. My encounters with education have been through engineering practices and tutoring of students. By preparing course materials in these areas, I have experienced how challenging it is to teach. It requires one to be very aware of the contents of the lessons and to have a high sense of responsibility. It also requires a great degree of sensitivity and interpersonal skills. One can be an expert in an area, but it takes real vocation and love to help others achieve their potential. In this project I have seen committed teachers who wake up every day to make a difference in the lives of their students, teachers who have given their best during these workshops to learn different strategies to reach their students.

It has been very inspiring to collaborate in the workshops. I am excited that I got to know teachers from different backgrounds and contexts. I am glad that I can take these life stories with me and that I can incorporate all of that wisdom in my educational practices.

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Sowing the Seed of Innovation Within a Harsh Environment Joann M. Calderón Tellado to Reap Creative Thinkers People often say being an ESL teacher in Puerto Rico is a piece of cake. These critics have not developed empathy. They do not realize how hurtful that phrase is to the teachers who are genuinely committed to make a difference in each 21st century student. ESL teachers believe they are superheroes, capable of doing the impossible in the classroom. Although, the hurtful comment can be heard, genuine teachers brush away the painful words. They move forward to find creative ways that can trigger innovative ideas for activities that are outside of the box and that are connected to the current curriculum in order to obtain substantial outcomes with students. ESL learners have a different perspective about what education is, how it works, and why it should be pertinent to them.

Many teachers are placed in the position to cover units within a timeframe and are pressured to work in an environment that can often be compared to a battlefield. It seems that vultures are waiting to feast over the burdened teacher who is trying his or her best to overcome physical and emotional barriers. Genuine teachers fall within this harsh environment, but the best quality they have is that they possess the capacity and the will power to get up and find a way to survive.

Workshops are key into igniting the flame within the noble hearts of genuine teachers. They present options of inspiration to work with strategies applicable in the classroom. I have battled to shove away the idea of quitting my profession. I must confess, I was losing my interest and was starting to lose focus as I sought a way out of the monotonous loop I was in. Luckily, I was able to participate in the ESL project offered by the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus where I rediscovered the reason why I am a teacher.

Through this ESL project, I received the essential tools to work around my classroom struggles.

I began to shape a new concept of who I am as a teacher and see the things I am capable of achieving. I was given the chance to believe that my students will be able to enjoy their learning experience through innovative teaching activities and become creative thinkers. Most importantly, I believe I can help them gain a sense of reassurance to face worldwide problems and contribute to society. Recently, I have come up with certain assessments that are not traditional-based from the input I received in the ESL project.

I encourage teachers to participate in workshops. They are a key component in surviving while going through harsh times in teaching.

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When is “too much too little and too little too much”?

Emus Hernández Robles Sometimes when you are sitting in front of your computer, preparing your lesson plan, this statement comes to mind, “When Is Too Much Too Little and Too Little Too Much?” This is especially true after all the information that I have gained in these workshops. I see myself like another student at school, learning, sharing, enjoying, discussing, and even arguing (in a positive and respectful way). By no means do I want to impose my opinion; I just want all of us to think about the core problem of the educational system.

In our educational system, some of us have “Too Much”, too many technological tools, too much information to provide, too many standards, and too much material to cover. Sometimes the result is too little knowledge and ESL acquisition from our students. We try to cover, use, and do all of what is expected of us, thinking that our students are learning. This is when the “Too Little” part comes up.

There is too little time to teach, and most importantly, students often only grasp or understand half of what we are teaching. There is not enough learning acquisition, in other words, “Too Little.”

Sometimes the system blames the teachers, sometimes the parents blame the teachers and the system, and most of the time, teachers blame other teachers because they do not take the time to analyze what is happening. That is what I want every reader to do: analyze; analyze why things are not working.

Not just mention or point out what is WRONG!!! Everyone loves to use this expression.

Looking for the “wrong things” rather than understanding why things are not working as planned or as they should, seems to be the main goal of the educational system. Administrators, the system, parents, and even teachers use their valuable time trying to blame others instead of working towards a solution.

Unfortunately, the end result is a student body full of misconceptions, behavioral situations, low self-esteem, and poor knowledge and ESL acquisition. Students end up having, as we say in Spanish, Lagunas y océanos de desconocimiento. It is not the system that is not working. The problem is that administrators, teachers, and even parents are entrusting responsible and true-teachers with the job of solving all these situations without helping them at all or at least giving them proper encouragement and support.

The educational system, with all its tools, modern schools, and well-prepared teachers, works.

Well, at least that is what I think! The problem is that teachers have “Too Much” to do, and have too many responsibilities. The system provides plenty of tools, but lacks supervision, motivation, and encouragement towards those who carry the enormous task of educating the new generation of learners.

“Too Little” comes to mind again. Too little is achieved. 21st Century techniques, materials, modern schools, and well-prepared teachers are not enough.

The educational system believes that learning will happen by pure “magic” because the teachers have everything that they need to produce well-instructed students. Here is where the main problem resides. You can’t expect good results if you do not become part of the solution. In order for something to be successful, you have to work with the school community. That includes teachers, students, and everyone else that is school-related.

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The administration needs to be involved directly. They must have hands-on experience to attest whether something is working or not. How can someone climb a high mountain if proper instruction and the right equipment is not provided and explained? This is what is happening in our educational system.

We have been presented with tools, standards, lesson plans, strategies, and many more educational gadgets, but we are lacking two principal and vital items: supervision and positive reinforcement.

Administrations, Boards of Directors, School Districts, Supervisors, and even the Superintendents simply become resource providers. They simply buy, create, impose, and criticize what teachers are doing with the tools they provide. They do not become “teachers.” They have preconceived outcomes and do not get involved in what is needed. They have to supervise, but they also have to provide solutions. They provide equipment, tools, and common core standards, but they have to work with these things to understand if it is truly doable, and if not, what’s next?

What needs to be changed? It is not enough to sit in an office and read tons of documents or standardized tests and immediately draw the inaccurate conclusion that the teachers and the students are not “doing their job.” They have to go to the “battle field” and experience with students and teachers what truly 21st Century schools and learning are all about. They have to get into the action of teaching, investigating, testing, and reevaluating. Only then with all these tools, common core standards, and well-prepared teachers will the proposed outcomes in schools be achieved.

The second part of the statement, “When is… “Too Little Too Much?” refers to the relationship between teacher and student, and also to the relationship between the system and the teacher. Sometimes, teachers do not provide enough of or a clear explanation of a skill, concept or lesson being taught in class, and expect the student to grasp it without hesitation or complaint. They think that the student is “mature” enough to just understand it in a second.

This is the attitude or action that jeopardizes the educational system, the one that puts everything at risk. When a teacher compromises his/her teaching strategies with an action like this one, he/she endangers the educational system, a system that has been so fragile for the last few decades.

It is not productive to simply give a definition or provide a mere explanation of a lesson. The teacher has to use concrete examples, detailed explanations of steps, work with simple and complex assessment tools, and make sure that the student understands before moving to the next skill or concept.

It is not a matter of quantity, but quality. Quantity does not define proficiency. Quantity is not a variable that ensures learning. Quantity only demonstrates the ability of someone to cram information that may be misinterpreted or misunderstood. Quality involves dedication, passion for teaching, and an actual true desire to have a well-prepared student, a student capable of managing information from the simplest to the more complex.

It is this quality that makes a teacher a true facilitator. This is the key element needed for today’s 21 Century students, a teacher that dedicates his/her entire efforts to produce an educated citizen capable of working towards a brighter and more efficient future for his/her society and the world’s society. This teacher is a true believer in education. This is the teacher whom, with a lot of “technological gadgets” or just a few, will end up having a productive student. st

I also mentioned that the second part of the statement involves the relationship between the system and the teacher. My purpose is not to criticize bluntly, but rather to present the cruel reality.

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When is… “Too Little Too Much?” It is when a Superintendent, an area Supervisor, a Subject Coordinator, or a Principal provides the least amount of effort and/or tools for the teacher to do a good job. This is when this statement becomes true.

Dedicated teachers have their hearts and minds set on achieving the most with their students during a school year, but they can’t do it all by themselves. They need a support system, a group of professionals that backs them up all the way. They need a set of open-minded people that are willing to go the extra mile without preconceived ideas or thinking about what people might think.

This backup group would work to ensure a positive outcome from teachers and students, reinforcing that the schools’ goals are achieved because they worked hand in hand with them. There is hope; there is hope for the future of our society, for the future of our children, and for our future too.

Every time a teacher takes from his/her free time (weekends, holidays, summer time) to take extra classes, attend seminars, and gets involved in the latest trends in education provides hope for the educational system. Clearly, they can’t do it all by themselves , but a first step is the commitment to succeed, to excel, to be up to speed on the latest trends, information, technology, and advances.

My heart stands with the “true-teachers,” those teachers that will go the extra mile always. These teachers go to bed thinking of ways to improve “tomorrow’s lesson,” of new ways to reach “Carlitos or Maria,” who seem not to understand how important they are to the teacher and their peers. For those teachers, who against all odds stand tall at the sign of adversity, of controversy, or the gigantic dragon that is called the “System of Education,” to you my fellow colleagues, my coworkers, my peers, my friends, to you all, a humble, sincere, and heartfelt thank you.

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Teaching Problem Based Learning (PBL) using art and drama.

Amarilys Fonseca Benabe Problem Based Learning (PBL) has been around for over 30 years. It is an instructional and curricular learner-centered approach that empowers students to conduct research, integrate theory and practice, and apply knowledge and skills to develop a viable solution to a defined problem. Using the techniques I acquired from the workshop: Professional Development for English Teachers of 21st Century: Enticing ESL Students to Acquire Communicative Competence Through Art and Technology, I created an exciting alternative to traditional classroom learning for teaching students’ awareness of the environment while improving English language skills.

All across the world, people are facing new and challenging environmental problems every day.

Our planet is at the brink of a severe environmental crisis. Current and future environmental problems make us vulnerable to disasters, tragedies and diseases. Unless we take immediate action, we’re surely doomed for disaster. As educators, we need to organize efforts to teach how natural environments function, and particularly, how human beings can manage behavior and ecosystems to live sustainably.

Environmental education becomes a necessary tool to educate individuals and communities and turn them into a society that is knowledgeable of the environment and its associated problems.

In order to promote respect for nature, I will use the PBL strategy to expose students to real life problems affecting their communities. Living on an island, it is very important that they learn what is affecting our coastline. To get the students attention, I will start by asking them the following question: What environmental problems are affecting marine life in Puerto Rico? Students will have the opportunity to examine and share what they know on the topic, improving their communication skills. Working together in groups, they will have the opportunity to gather and organize information on the topic.

This is where the fun begins! After discussing what they know about environmental problems affecting marine life in Puerto Rico, students will present their findings in a short drama presentation.

They will work together in the research of an environmental problem and present ways to solve it. Then, the drama presentation will be performed in front of the school community. Students will dress up as marine life characters that have been affected by people’s behavior towards the ocean.

As I was taking the workshop, Professional Development for English Teachers of 21st Century: Enticing ESL Students to Acquire Communicative Competence Through Art and Technology I was inspired by all the teachers that participated to create this backdrop for my students to use. I hope to inspire in them respect for nature and enhance public environmental awareness.

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The Seedling Miracle

Jane Colón Martínez

My experience in the project for Professional Development for English Teachers of 21st Century made a huge impact on me as a teacher. I always thought that there was only one way of teaching and learning. It was the one we were taught. This project has changed the vision that I had of teaching my students.

The professors demonstrated how passionate they are toward teaching teachers to innovate in the class by employing different strategies of cooperative learning, enhancing reading comprehension through art, teaching Afro-Puerto Rican literature, and using technology. I have learned to take time in creating new activities and ideas for different types of students.

The professors from the University of Puerto Rico demonstrated their knowledge of the many ways to teach students to learn a English and not be afraid to apply new ideas and strategies in the classroom. They taught me that I am not alone in this process of learning; they were there to help anyone who needed their knowledge and experience. The project gave me the tools to teach my students to be more independent, cooperative, and confident in what they do. Through cooperative learning, they would learn to rely on others, express themselves more easily, and become critical thinkers.

Professor Carmen Torres Rivera gave us a class about a story called Flat Stanley. The professor demonstrated how her students apply the story in different types of activities. I used the story, Flat Stanley, with my sixth grade students. At first they did not want to hear about the story. As I kept on reading they were eager to hear more about Stanley. Students could not wait until the next day. They wanted to take the book home to see what had happened to the character. As we continued reading the story, they asked different types of questions. When we finished the story, I told them they had to create a Stanley, take him home, and write for a week what they had done with the character.

At the beginning of the project, their reaction was that they did not want to take Stanley anywhere. They could not see the Stanley doll, but as the days went by, they did not mind at all. Students presented what they had done with Stanley. They had a blast. Through this project now I have sixth grade students who are interested in taking a book home, reading it, and coming to class and expressing to their classmates what they had learned about the story.

Today I have eleven students who are interested in reading; tomorrow will be the entire class.

This is the seed that I have started with my group hoping that tomorrow there will be more students interested in learning the English language. I will always be thankful for this opportunity to be in this project with excellent professors who took their time to teach me the different strategies and give me the tools to teach my students a new language.

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The Art of Teaching

Christine Chittenden Rodríguez

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More than once I have asked myself what factors enhance the learning of a second language. As an English teacher, I know there are distinct styles that influence the learning of English, especially in this new century. Definitely, I want my students to learn English, but how can I reach the different needs of all my students? Teachers are provided with Teaching Guides containing the objectives and activities for each lesson, but we have moved from a traditional teaching experience into constructivism, something easier to say than do. Occasionally, we attend workshops that equip teachers with the necessary tools to achieve such a tough task. Precisely, that is what the Professional Development for English Teachers 21st Century program has done for me. This awesome program has equipped me as a teacher with the strategies I need to replace some traditional methods used in the past.

21st century students are different. Students are more interested in tweeting and texting than in reading literature and writing about it. These students were born in a globalized technological era that calls for problem solving and collaborative work. In other words, teachers are dealing with digital natives who expect from their teachers the unexpected. To meet the challenges of 21st century students, education must be transformed. Due to the increasing volume of information available, teachers and students are faced with many choices and find that relevant information can sometimes be a challenge.

Besides, if we consider the fact that students’ abilities to learn a second language rely mainly on their interest to learn it, teachers must then incorporate in their classroom activities that promote thinking and decision making skills, and a sense of self-discovery.

One method for promoting students’ sense of self-discovery is through collaborative learning.

Cooperation is the division of labor where collaboration involves students working together. When students collaborate, they interact and negotiate. They can enjoy shared activities making learning more effective. Collaboration seems to have a powerful effect on students in increasing their language acquisition, as well as their social competencies. Teachers should provide activities where students can collaborate and solve problems effectively in order to succeed in life.

Teaching and learning a second language is hard for teachers and students alike. Part of the problem seems to be the teachers’ lack of understanding of the use of 21st century strategies. As teachers, it is important to renovate our teaching approaches in order to capture our students’ attention. This 21st century English program has helped me remake my classes in a way that I have recaptured my students’ attention. I have incorporated in my classes the use of technology in an instructive manner by using videos, songs, movies, movie trailers, arts and craft, drawing images, games, and video games, which students happen to love. There is nothing more inspiring than having an open mind for new things. Teachers must not expect students to learn effectively by only using traditional methods used thirty years ago. Living in a technological 21st century, teaching a second language is the art of assisting students’ self-discovery.

My experience at the UPR

Adriana N. Torres Pastrana

The experience in the workshops at the UPR has been very rewarding. To give a small background of my professional setting, my school recently has been going through a curriculum transformation.

This change is due to the amount of technology, social changes, and rapid globalization that have occurred in the past decades. Furthermore, this transformation MUST foster students’ involvement in the learning process and the teacher MUST step away from the traditional teacher-directed teaching process. Furthermore, the workshops have helped me a lot in the process of teaching and I have become perceptive of how these activities can help me understand the changes in my school. The goal of the workshops was to understand how students must be involved in classroom activities and also how these contribute to their learning. The professors in these workshops have tried to design activities that not only motivate us to understand the logistics of the activity, but also motivate students. All of the activities given in these workshops have helped teachers understand Project Based Learning (PBL), constructive learning, and teaching in the classroom.

Since June, the teachers were invited to learn the methods of how PBL helps students learn.

If done correctly, the activities are fun, interactive, and creative. Another element that was promoted in the workshops was that in order to motivate a proper learning environment in the classroom, the activities should be pertinent. This means that teachers should promote a lesson that not only is fun and interactive, but that also taps the social problems and changes of our time. Another positive feature of constructive teaching is that teachers should step away from traditional teaching. Instead, teachers should act as facilitators and give the student time to explore and construct learning. I believe that this really helps teachers understand which students grasp the concepts discussed in class and which students need additional time to learn.

One of the professors that helped us gain more knowledge in creating meaningful and creative lessons was Dr. Anibal Muñoz. The professor really understood how to create interactive content that kept the teachers busy and motivated. From the use of videos to the use of sitcoms to understanding the elements of the story, Dr. Anibal Muñoz created a balance in using the classic teaching and the 21st century activities. He combined both to create a lesson that was innovative and relatable for the students. Also, the classroom environment was nurturing. Dr. Muñoz was considerate and humble and did not make us feel intimidated and overwhelmed by the knowledge he imparted. He created a peaceful environment in teaching and learning. He was the best!

As a final thought, I have worked with Project Based Learning and constructive learning for the final projects of my 10th and 11th graders in Academia María Reina. After careful evaluation of how I employed my knowledge of the workshops in my classroom, I saw an improvement in their behavior.

Although problems will always arise in the process of the project, the overall product will be worthwhile in the understanding of the concept. All in all, constructive teaching and PBL have proven that students can learn and apply their understanding in a meaningful and creative context. Teachers can also have fun creating projects not relying on the boring activities presented in textbooks, although proven effective, do not inspire creative analysis.

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My Experience during the 2015 Professional Development for English Teachers Project from the University of Puerto Rico Penélope Rivera Rivera Rio Piedras Campus I have to admit that when I first enrolled in the program I was desperately looking for strategies that would help me teach Language Arts to fifth graders, but I wasn’t looking forward to sacrificing my personal time to do so. The idea of spending a summer month and Saturdays during a semester with fellow teachers, taking workshops, and taking classes seemed challenging. However, I knew it had to be done and I was ready to meet the task ahead.

It is the first time that I’ve had to teach English in all my years as a teacher. I was well aware that I didn’t have all the answers. I knew I needed to get creative. I knew I had to consult colleagues and resources. I knew it would be hard work. I was basically trying to adapt all the skills and tools that I had acquired throughout the years teaching a million other things to kids of different ages and backgrounds to the context of teaching a second language to kids who sometimes didn’t even know their first one well enough.

Since being a Special Education Teacher for the past five years, I’ve had to get used to doing things out of my comfort zone, teaching things that I didn’t even know could be taught and taking lots of extra workshops in order to get the tools I needed to do my job right. That is the key here, not just being a teacher, but being an awesome one, being a great one, a 21st Century, open-minded, creative, technologyoriented, socially and globally aware, and diversity-conscious teacher. That’s what these workshops were all about. Although I was initially hesitant, I was really looking forward to the experience. Just being able to learn new things and get a few good ideas would have been enough at that point.

The workshops didn’t disappoint. During June, we started exploring what 21st Century Skills and 21st Century learning were all about. We discussed how education has evolved (or hasn’t) and how things are being done differently and creatively in order to keep up with the changing society that we live in today. It was refreshing to be able to compare and contrast the facts presented by the professors, with the experiences and points of view of my colleagues. Just by discussing in a group forum, I was able to pick and choose different things that I wanted to incorporate in my classes right away. With so many great minds at work and in the same place, you tend to get inspired even when you’re not planning to.

I had the opportunity of learning how to make videos and movies to apply them to my classes and the students’ experiences. This was definitely something that I could take advantage of, considering that kids are so technology-dependent today. I would have liked for the experience to be more structured and guided, so we could actually learn how to navigate the necessary programs more efficiently for when we do it in school, but it was still enriching to learn something so avant-guarde.

I learned how to teach poetry in a fun and creative way. Prof. Vigimaris Nadal and Dr. Carmen Torres were amazing inspirations on how to take something as intimidating as poetry and figurative language and make it interesting and approachable to students of all ages, while being able to apply it to a bunch of different subjects and topics. Also, being able to incorporate the arts, music, and “virtual museums” is an excellent complement to any class that one is giving, not only English or Language Arts.

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The hands-on activities that we developed in class, such as the poetry book, the masks, the collages, and the puppets are things that I have already started doing or have them in my plans for the upcoming months. The best part about it is that not only have I applied these strategies to my Language Arts classes, but they have also been great activities to incorporate in my Math and Social Studies classes as well.

Dr. Cristina Guerra was also an amazing resource. She was encouraging, lovable, creative, and extremely resourceful. She provided us with many suggestions on how to do a lot with very little, extending and making the most out of the available resources. She taught us how to keep the students engaged and committed and how to use different tools to evaluate their learning and development in a favorable and unbiased way. She also succeeded in being very encouraging, very aware that the job of teaching is sometimes disheartening to us all. She gave us great tools and ideas to work with the kids in a wide array of different areas.

Furthermore, I was doubly blessed by being assigned to her as my mentor during the program.

Dr. Guerra visited my school and my classroom during the first semester. I felt proud showing her our resources and projects. She was impressed by our efforts in providing students with a truly enriching and well-rounded academic experience. I was honored by her presence during one of my classes (my kids begged her to stay for the Social Studies class after they met her) and she had the opportunity of seeing me apply some of the strategies that we acquired through the workshops. It was fun and encouraging.

The kids didn’t even want her to go!

Dr. Anibal Muñoz also provided us with some incredible resources. By the way, his suggestions and ideas are some of the ones that I have incorporated in my work the most. In the workshop, “Take me to the concert!” I got some amazing ideas for a math project that I developed with my colleagues to teach sixth graders how to work a budget and develop math concepts and planning into real life situations. This was an activity that the kids enjoyed immensely and that the parents also appreciated.

Learning how to use radio talk shows as a method for oral language development, which was another of his workshops, gave me some great ideas to work on auditory discrimination and processing with some of my kids that needed a little extra help in that area. Dr. Muñoz is resourceful, creative, and very supportive of our ideas and initiatives. It was definitely a pleasure to learn from him.

Dr. Elsie Candelaria basically provided us with all the facts and theory, the “backbone” of the workshops if you will. She also provided us with opportunities to reflect, meditate, and inquire about the current, past, and future situation of education in Puerto Rico and the world. This helped put all the topics covered in the workshops into a just perspective and a reality-based context. She also monitored our implementation of the acquired techniques to our lesson planning.

I can’t complain. The experience was incredibly enriching. Receiving printed and digital materials, as well as boxes and bags full of “goodies” (books, resources, and supplies) were definitely a plus! I never expected to leave the workshops with so many tools, in knowledge and experience as well as educational materials to use with the kids. As with everything, there are areas to improve, which I expressed in my daily evaluations of the workshops. However, the workshops achieved their purpose in providing us with 21st Century strategies and knowledge to teach English that can be applied to a variety of populations and contexts. I would recommend other teachers to take these workshops. No matter how good one is, there is always room for improvement. I would also suggest that administrators and supervisors take workshops like these that provoke and encourage change and growth towards a positive direction in benefit of the students of today’s world and tomorrow’s society.

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