Academic Bulletin January/February 2015 Classes started with a bang in both programs! As expected, January and February have both been great months in terms of numbers of students at all of our sites. Congratulations to the Site Coordinators and TS that work at all the sites for their hard work in ensuring good registration numbers. As teachers, you are a fundamental aspect in making sure those students stay with us and motivating them to register for subsequent courses, so let’s keep this in mind as the year goes along. Here are a few announcements related to the start of classes: 1. In the Adult Program, the number of classes per intensive and semi-intensive course used to fluctuate depending on the calendar for any specific year, but as of 2015 it has been standardized. This means that intensive morning courses will always have 18 classes, intensive afternoon courses will always have 15 classes and semi intensive morning or afternoon courses during the week will always have 15 classes. For the afternoon courses, this means that students will be receiving only 37.5 hours of the 38 hours which are promised. These additional 30 minutes will be made up by adding 10 minutes to the first three classes of each cycle. By adding these 10 minutes, class times will change in the following way: 1:55 p.m. classes will end at 3:55 p.m
4 p.m. classes will end at 6 p.m.
6:20 p.m. classes will end at 8:20 p.m.
2. After piloting the end of course evaluation at the end of last year and making the necessary adjustments, this is now ready to be fully implemented. Starting Cycle 1 in the Adult Program, and B1 or S1 in the Children and Youth Program, all students are going to be asked to complete the online evaluation near the end of the course. The TS should be going by your classes informing your students how they can complete the evaluation, and also taking the Course 1 students to the MLC or the Computer areas at the sites to complete their evaluations. It is paramount that you encourage students to complete the corresponding evaluation for each of your courses, as we are expecting to have at least 80% of the number of students registered in each course, evaluate it.
Academic Bulletin January/February 2015 In terms of feedback from your evaluations, we are still organizing how this will be shared with each teacher, but the idea is that each of you will receive information on how you did in the end of course evaluation and what areas you have to work on more. 3. Feedback reports are going to be used in both programs. For those of you that teach in the Adult program, you know it is compulsory to complete the feedback report for each of your students at the end of the cycle. As of this year, this will also become compulsory in the Children and Youth program, where additional to the comments that are already added in the grade sheet, you will have to complete the feedback report as well. Please remember that the comments you write in the feedback report are intended for the next teacher, and therefore should be as complete as possible in providing the necessary information that the subsequent teacher should need to know about each of his/her students. This can include specific weaknesses, behavioral patterns, or any type of difficulty that you feel is important to highlight so that the teacher can continue with the student’s academic process.
ISO Updates
4. Changes in Roster Sheet/Booklet formats. Due to the fact that ISO requires us to keep and store all Roster Sheets/Booklets for at least one year, and with the sole purpose of trying to take advantage of the storage that we have, it has been decided that the Roster Sheets (Adult Program) and Booklets (Children and Youth Program) will all be on individual sheets of paper. The changes in the Adult Program roster sheet were implemented as of June last year, and therefore the change for this year is that the Children and Youth Program will also be just on one sheet of double-sided paper. All teachers will be provided with folders to store their attendance and grades sheets for both programs. As you were all informed at the initial teachers’ meeting, ISO is well underway and we are expecting to complete the internal audit by April, with the Academic Department being audited right after Easter break. As you know, this process is paramount for the Colombo and we’re ready to receive as much support from everyone so that we can pass it successfully! A fundamental part of ISO is making sure that processes are followed and documented by all staff. Some of the important processes that we have in the Academic Department include completing formats which then have to be kept and stored for specific periods of time. Some of these formats are:
Academic Bulletin January/February 2015 Roster sheet Please remember that this must be handed in at the end of each cycle. It should be complete (have all the grades and calculations), be written in black ink with no alterations (things crossed out or whited-out), and the official Colombo format used (no Excel print-outs).
Lesson plans These lesson plans correspond to those that you hand in when you request a personal day off, as well as the lesson plan you must hand in after you have been observed. This lesson plan must be completed using the official Colombo format and must include any resources (photocopies).
Tutoring remission card This is to be used with students that have a specific need to work on aspects related to prior courses where they have shown weaknesses in the current course they are in. The TS have this format, and you can request it at any time during the cycle. Once completed, it must be handed back to the TS, who will later hand it to Ramiro so that the process can be started. MLC format This format must be completed if you want to use the computer area at any of the sites for a class activity. For Downtown, you must hand in your request at least two days in advance due to the greater demand that the MLC has. At the sites, you must hand in the format at least one day in advance.
Academic Bulletin January/February 2015 Manual de Convivencia – how much do you actually know? Starting 2015, our updated “Manual de Convivencia” was published online and contains information regarding all of the Colombo’s internal policies and procedures, specifically related to the Academic Department. It is of upmost importance that all teachers are familiarized with the information outlined in the Manual de Convivencia so that we make sure that all of the sites are on the same page and that students are informed accordingly. Please remember to use this as a reference to answer questions or doubts students may have instead of sending the student directly to the Academic Department, which is more time consuming for them. Just to check how much you actually know about the Manual de Convivencia, we’re devised this mini-quiz with a few questions. Have fun answering these questions! Circle the correct answer. 1. Advanced courses in both programs don’t have a final exam nor speaking task, therefore students are only evaluated on the 70% follow-up, which is then assigned as their final 100% grade.
True
False
2. The Colombo has a student representative, who is elected by vote.
True
False
3. A student who currently studies in the Youth Program has to present a placement exam to be able to move to the Adult Program.
True
False
4. A student who can’t come back to class due to a prolonged sick leave can request part of the money they paid back, presenting the corresponding sick leave.
True
False
5. A student can’t come to the final exam and he /she presents a valid excuse. The teacher must schedule another date for the student to present the exam.
True
False
Did you know the answer to all of them? If not, we suggest you brush up on your knowledge of Colombo policies and procedures!
Academic Bulletin January/February 2015 Registration and Accreditation Renewal All of you should have already received the informative email regarding the documentation that must be handed in for the registration and accreditation renewal that the Colombo is currently going through. Please bear in mind that you must comply with these requirements by June 2015, which is the last date we have to hand in all of the documentation. If you are planning on taking any of the exams mentioned in the email or the courses, but won’t have your results by June, please let us know as soon as possible. Just some clarifications: 1. The TOEFL exam that is valid is the TOEFL iBT as this is the only one that contains an evaluation of all four skills, including speaking. 2. For the TKT exam, teachers must present all three modules. If you have taken a different type of TKT, like the TKT practical or TKT CLIL, you can hand in your certificates but still must take the complete exam. The Academic Assistants on the 8th floor might be contacting some of you to request that you turn in copies of your undergraduate diplomas; prior work experience, etc. so please hand in the information requested in a timely manner. In terms of the exams, an email will be sent out next week with more specific information regarding dates, costs, etc. so please check your inboxes for this important information. For those of that you have already shown you interest in taking the ECPE, TKT, or any of these exams, we thank you for doing so.
Touchstone or no Touchstone? In the Adult Program, we are currently working towards changing the current textbook and program to something which will allow us to pursue more technology-based materials and bring the 21st century into the Colombo classrooms. This will not happen until roughly 2016, so this means that in the meantime all courses stay exactly the way they are, using the Touchstone or Cutting Edge textbook, depending on the course.
Academic Bulletin January/February 2015 Some teachers have been telling their students that they will not be using the textbook during the course. Although the textbook is not obligatory for students to purchase, this does not mean that teachers should leave out its use in the course altogether. The textbook has and always will be one of many resources available for class, but it is the one resource that students will always be able to have most at hand and it can be very valuable for them especially when doing autonomous study or reviewing concepts seen. Please refrain from informing students that you will not use the textbook in class, and find alternative ways to incorporate some of the exercises from the textbook either into your classes or as homework. Also, please remember that students are not allowed to use copies of the book in class – no digital or physical copies.
Academic Projects This year will definitely be the year for Academic Projects, as we have several that are continuing from past years as well as new ones that are starting up. Here is a breakdown of the projects that we have planned for this year. If you would like to participate in any of these programs, please let us know! Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellowship Program: English and leadership program for Afro-Colombian and indigenous university students. • Quibdó: fourth cohort restarted on January 24. Teacher: Jaider Vanegas. • Medellín: fourth cohort continued on January 19. Various teachers. • Leadership component (Medellín and Quibdó): theme is Black History Month and Meredith Cummings will be holding session on February 28th. A special thanks to her for her participation in this program. • Additional information: important visits from USAID, which is the entity that is financially supporting this initiative, will take place over the following two weeks.
English Access Microscholarship Program: English courses for outstanding high school students from at-risk communities. • Quibdó: first cohort restarted on January 24. Teacher: Diego Valencia. • Medellín: second cohort restarted on January 20. Teachers: Cristina Jaramillo & Paula Londoño.
Academic Bulletin January/February 2015 Sirenaica: English courses for at-risk teenagers registered in the voice and music training program of the Sirenaica Foundation in Medellin. • Medellín: first cohort restarted January 20. Teacher: Tyler Austenfeld. “Proyecto de Cooperación Educativa para el Fortalecimiento de la Enseñanza y Aprendizaje del Inglés e las Escuelas Normales Superiores”: a project with Ministry of Education where the 9 binational centers in Colombia are providing English and pedagogical training to students and teachers in the Normal schools. • Envigado: first cohort restarted January 20. Teacher: Claudia Orozco. • Copacabana: first cohort restarted January 20. Teachers: Ana Maria Carmona, Diego Valencia, Marcela Puerta & Yenny Chavarría.
Normal de Medellín Project: English courses for a group of students in the “ciclo complementario” of the Normal de Medellín, which also includes pedagogical workshops. • Medellín: first cohort restarted January 20. Teacher: Janeth Restrepo.
The following are projects that are still being organized but will start between February and March this year. • College Horizons Bello: English courses for low-income Afro Colombian high school students. Tentative start date: March 2015. • Maestros para el Bilinguismo Bello: Teacher training for public school teachers which will include English classes as well as pedagogical follow-up. Tentative start date: March 2015.
Academic Bulletin January/February 2015 • Secretary of Education and Escuela Normal de Medellín: Train and accompany 362 students from the Escuela Normal de Medellín in English competences as well as pedagogical aspects. Tentative start date: March - April 2015. • CLIL British Council: Provide teacher training courses focused on developing English competences as well as pedagogical training. A CLIL course (Content and Language Integrated Learning) is also being created which will be focused on bilingual school teachers. • Ministry of Education and Colombo’s nationwide: A new project with the Ministry of Education and all 9 Colombo Americano’s in Colombia is being organized, which will also focus on teacher training.
Rionegro joins the Colombo family As you all know, we opened a new site in Rionegro, specifically in the San Nicolas Shopping Mall on the third floor, next to the cinemas. This new site officially opened its doors on January 19th and at the moment has just over 230 students in its first two cycles in the Children, Youth and Adult programs offered there. The Site Coordinator for this new site is Análida Saenz and Juan Carlos Ruiz will be accompanying her as a TS. We also have a new Academic Assistant at the site, Yadira Castro, and a new Resource Room Assistant, Carolina. Please make sure you give the new people on staff a warm welcome! If you are interested in teaching at this site, please let us know!
Colombo’s first online course After nearly two years of hard work, the Colombo is proud to announce that it now has its first online course! This course is hosted on the tareasplus.com site, which provides students in Latin America with options for online study that can range from free courses to paying courses. The course the Colombo put together is the TOEFL iBT course, which will provide those students that already have upper intermediate or advanced English competences with strategies to be able to better present the TOEFL exam. A big thanks to Jose Manuel Ocampo and Juan Carlos Ruiz who both worked hard on this project to put it together, and to Bridget Flynn who lent her wonderful voice for the audios.
Academic Bulletin January/February 2015 PDP Sessions The following PDP sessions have been set up for March. Please make a note in your calendar and make sure that you organize your time to attend. Attendance of all teachers is highly expected! • Monday March 9th (4 to 7 p.m.) Kids Program teachers (DT Site) Pamela Netinho (English Language Specialist from the U.S. Embassy) “Classroom Management-determining class rules/expectations and implementing routine procedures to promote student learning”.
Wednesday March 11th (4 to 7 p.m.)
Thursday
MLC News
March 9th (4 to 7 p.m.)
• Wednesday March 11th (4 p.m. to 7 p.m.) Youth Program teachers (DT Site) Pamela Netinho (English Language Specialist from the U.S. Embassy) “Setting up and Running Small Group Activities in the Classroom”.
• Friday March 13th (8 a.m. to 10 a.m.) (DT Site) Pamela Netinho (English Language Specialist from the U.S. Embassy) “Student-centered Strategies for Learning”. March 19th (9 to 10 a.m.)
Monday
Friday March 13th (8 to 10 a.m.)
• Thursday March 19th (9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.) (Theater 1, DT Site) Professor Jessica Williams (University of Illinois, Chicago) “Making Academic Tasks Accessible”.
Deadline for registration: March 12th. Please email jortiz@colomboworld.com to register for this talk or call Alejandra Arboleda or Isabel Salazar at 2040404 ext. 1005 and 1007.
During 2015, the aim is to make the MLC and Computer Areas at the sites places where students can go and do autonomous study of English, and not just use it for Facebook or chatting. To improve connectivity in the MLC lab downtown, the WiFi in Multimedia will be changed to cable internet, which provides better stability and higher connection rates especially when using audio or video applications. Additional to this, Ramiro will be visiting the different sites to promote websites and other applications that can be used to enhance students’ language competences. We’re also looking into different platforms that can be acquired to help support language learning processes outside the classroom.
Academic Bulletin January/February 2015 New Tech at the Sites We’re pleased to announce that we have started off the year with some technological improvements at the sites, especially downtown. At the downtown site, we have purchased 3 new laptops which will be available for teachers to take to class. Taking into consideration the difficulties that we had last year with the laptops and the unfortunate fact that two laptops were stolen, the loan process of these new laptops will be slightly different.The procedures on how to borrow a laptop to take to class has been highlighted below: The laptops will be kept in the Systems Department (8th floor).
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You are responsible for returning the laptop in the exact same conditions it was borrowed. When you want to return it, you must take it back to the Systems Department and sign that you have returned the laptop.
For classes at 6:00 a.m. or 6:20 a.m. you must borrow the laptop with the TS, completing the same formats but return it to the Systems Department.
3 4
5 6
If you need to take a laptop to class, go the Systems Department, sign a clearance format with the date, your name, and time, and then take the laptop to your class.
If a laptop goes missing, the teacher who last signed out the laptop (and doesn’t appear to have returned it) will be held responsible for the costs of replacing that laptop.
For classes at 6:20 p.m. you must borrow the laptop with the Systems Department but return it to the TS, again completing the corresponding formats.
Additional to the laptops, we will have new televisions installed in some of the classrooms, new DVD’s to accompany these TV’s, 4 new PC’s for the Teacher’s Lounge Downtown (the current three that are there will be removed and changed), one new PC for the Teacher’s Lounge in Molinos, and there is a project to update all the whiteboards downtown which will be done gradually over 2015. So that’s it for the first bulletin of the year. We welcome back all of the continuing teachers and staff and also give a warm “welcome aboard” to the professionals who are starting with us in 2015. We wish you all a very prosperous and productive year! Academic Department.