Logbook
Student teacher´s name: Patricia Binder Vargas Practicum center: Melipulli School Place: San Sebastian University PIP VI Classes
Grade: 8th A Date: March 11th
Integrating Skills Studying the implications of integrating the four skills for teaching is one of the biggest challenger that a teacher can apply in their practice. Is also important to know why this methodology have to be applied in the classroom. Firstly, the four skills can not be taught isolated, they must be joined in order to provide to our students the opportunity to develop their learning strategies according to their abilities. On the other hand, preparing resources for reading, writing, speaking and listening, can be very demanding for a teacher due to the fact that they do not have a lot of time to prepare pedagogical resources. Place: San Sebastian University PIP VI Classes
Date: March 18th
Pair activity “memorization” (1st module) Today, Teacher Heather applied a pair activity where we had to work on our memorization. At the beginning, I thought I was not able to do it because that skill has not been developed on me. In that activity I worked with Yenifer Matus, she had the role to write down whatever I dictated. My role was to read a small piece a paper and memorize what was written there and tell Yenifer. I really loved it. I never thought that this kind of activity could encourage me to think that it is not necessary to memorize the whole information at once. Comprehensive approach(2nd module) Learning the comprehensive approach brought to me the concepts seen in Linguistics last year and the importance of the acquisition of the language in human being. I learnt that the concept of comprehensive approach refers to a method of learning a new language through the process of understanding the meaning of word and the expression of language. Yenifer and I, worked in how to explain to the rest of the class the concept, contextualizing the importance of this for our practice as future teachers. This concept has four main steps in which we emphasize the period of silence where the learner assimilates meaning, sound in order to acquire a target language. 1
Place: San Sebastian University PIP VI Classes
Date: March 25th
Task Based learning approach This methodology presents five types of task, however, the one I believe it is the most achievable to be applied in the classroom is “ Decision - making task “. The reason is because the majority of the students have not idea how to make right decision to be applied in everyday aspect. Through this method, the learner plays the most important role in the learning process. Owing to give students the responsibility for doing something where teacher interference play a role of monitor them giving the information that they really need in order to complete the task. I have the hope this methodology will embrace my work once I have to apply it in my teaching practice. Place: San Sebastian University PIP VI Classes
Date: April, 1st
Microteaching using “ Task based method” Yenifer Matus and I, decided to work together in this challenge by proposing the idea of stydents could be able to apply their communicative function in a way they are familiar to it. The idea of working with the task based methodology is to inquire it with our students in the future. The idea of our microteaching was great, the activity was different from what we have seen before at University or in our practicum center. However, we made some mistakes related in the application of it. According to teacher Heather feedback we did not apply entirely the communicative function, in which we agreed, due to two relevant reasons. One of them was the time assigned on the microteaching (25 minutes) and the second reason was the lack of collaboration of some classmate who have forgotten the concept of empathy. Although the circumstances, the activity in some point achieved the methodology in which we feel very proud of us and keeps us motivated to improve and intensify our knowledge in relation to our career. Place: San Sebastian University PIP VI Classes
Date: April, 8th
Microteaching using “ Task based method” Maria Ignacia Alvarado Unfortunately I could come to this microteaching due to the crash I have with Phonetics.
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Place: Practicum center Melipulli School
Date: April, 9th
Today was my first day at Mellipulli School. I was also introduced to my guide teacher Miss Daniela Mardones and to the students who will be part of my last progressive practicum. Melipulli means in native language “Four hills” this also was the first name that Puerto Montt city had when the native lived in this area. I had the impression that my contribution would be productive owing to the reason that this school have students with different kind of academic need and I am willing to help them. Miss Daniela Mardones also introduced me with the grades that I was on charge of, some of them were very intimidating, especially the 6th A grade. This class does not respect the teacher at all. Good manners does not exist on them which make my experience even challenging. The 8th A - B are so bad, however, they are very talkative where is kind of impossible to keep other students concentration or motivation in learning. I hope the following week the students demonstrate more enthusiasm in learning. From me, I will keep giving my best and encourage them to have good manners. Place: San Sebastian University PIP VI Classes
Date: April, 15th
Testing assignment and teaching Testing students is not an easy task to do if we consider all the important aspect that we must take into account when it comes the time to approach it without leaving behind all the fundamental features that involve to assess students learning process. In today's class Teacher Heather taught us the difference of two relevant concepts. One of them was “test” and the other one was “assessment”. In one hand, test measure the abilities of the students and specifics competences and evaluate response were always involve a result (marks). On the other hand, assessment is the process of the students learning, normally it helps teachers to make decision in relation of what the students need to learn according to their abilities. Not always is measureable. Teacher Heather also mentioned above that these concepts are divided into “Formal and informal”. Assessing students in an informal way helps them to encourage learners to keep improving and also to let them know how well their are doing things, even for an adult is rewarding. I enjoy doing this with my students, especially when they do not believe in their straightness.
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Place: Practicum center Melipulli School
Date: April, 16th
Behaviour problem at Melipulli school, is one of the biggest issue that teacher has to face everyday in the classroom. I have evidenced the negative attitude that some students have in the class where it does not help at all the improvement of the language. Miss Daniela Mardones is a very patient person in which keeps encouraging constantly to behave properly. However, in many occasions I have to help her to with activities that could help. For example, there is a kind of game where students have to follow a pattern with their hands. I clap my hands saying. “ clap twice, clap once, clap half. The students love this activities because they want to keep the pattern without any mistake. I do this activity every time my guide teacher requests it or is needed. How important is to keep their attention not only for the person who is teaching in the front of the classroom but also for those learners who are really willing to study, participate and learn more about the language. Place: San Sebastian University PIP VI Classes
Date: April, 22nd
Microteaching using “ Task based method” Belén Núñez with Claudia Vargas Maurice Darmendrail with Jonathan Diego Burgos with Andrea Cuevas It is very difficult to criticize others classmates ´work due to the reason that we are in equal position, where we still need to learn about many things that involve our future practice. However, at this stage we should at least archive many skill that are crucial for a teacher. Some of them are creativity, quality of the resources that can help your teaching and finally class management. I always participate in my classmates microteaching because I like to get this engage back whenever a teach one day. But I really feel motivating for the two first group, I noticed insecurity in some of them especially in Claudia Vargas and Jonathan. I did not like the resources used in their performance they were too simple and boring. Although their anxiety, I hope they could improve all the aspects I have mentioned here in order to provide the best of them. On the other hand, Andrea and Diego materials were used in a better way. I loved the brochure it was a good idea to have my own material where I could make my own note about the task requested.
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Place: Practicum center Melipulli School
Date: April, 23rd
Today classes were cancelled in Puerto Montt due to the eruption of Calbuco Volcano. The authority will keep us informed about when we should return to normally.
Place: San Sebastian University PIP VI Classes
Date: April, 29th
Purpose of assessing a second language Considering many aspect about teaching, I have to say that assessment is the most complicate features to deal with. In today's class, we studied the five major principles of language assessment (practicality, reliability, validity, authenticity and washback) and their subcategories. We analyzed every single principle through concept contextualizing into samples and also their sub categories. This class was absolutely useful and interesting I wish to apply it when I work with my students. I am not sure if teacher do this in their everyday practice, however, I would love to achieve this in a short time.
Place: Practicum center Melipulli School
Date: April, 30th
Personal pronouns & usage of verb to be Today, for first time I had the chance to teach. I was delighted to be working with the 8th A grade students. My guide teacher, asked me to prepare a material related to personal pronouns and the usage of verb to be. For some of the students English is a difficult subject to study, for this reason the resource used for this class was very simple and easy to comprehend. Unfortunately, discipline did not help at all. We could not finish the handout prepared for the class. Miss Daniela suggested to continue with the handout next thursday. I could also realise that most of the students get bored easily so I have started to find activities more dynamic where the learners can learn openly and in a meaningful way.
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Place: San Sebastian University PIP VI Classes
Date: May, 6th
Principles of language assessment (1st part) Today class was focused in how to know if a test is effective, appropriate, useful to be applied in the classroom. Actually, is a very point to know what I am really assessing Does it helps? Is the test a good academic instrument to evaluate my students?. So many question that we should consider every time to prepare a test in order to measure students knowledge and abilities. Teacher Heather provided us a material to bring into class to recognize a real test and the points to be considered on each item. At the beginning was not an easy task to do because we did not have much information about contents, validity and the level of English of every students. So, teacher Heather asked us to look the general ideas and provide points for each item. It was impressive to know the variation of points provided to the same items for the rest of my classmates. The criteria used was totally different of what we used with my classmate who I worked with. I love the activity, next time I am preparing a test I will take into consideration at least what teacher mentioned in class today.
Place: Practicum center Melipulli School
Date: May, 7th
Handout personal pronouns & usage of verb to be Today at school, students worked on the handout pending from the previous week. The students used 90 minutes to complete it. Although the spent more time what I have planned, I could use this time to discover how good at English are some of them. there are at least five students in the class who have excellents skills on their communicative and grammar function that they should keep on going. I also worked with the students calling them to share their answers at the board, in which I considered it was a good idea in order to interact with them.
Place: San Sebastian University PIP VI Classes
Date: May, 13th
Principles of language assessment (2nd part) (1st module) We continued working with this topic. Today we applied into exercises given by teacher Heather. In those exercises we had to consider the five principles and sub categories to describe every assessment studied. One more time, I was lost at the beginning because I did not know how to score a item without having much information provided. As teacher heather was monitoring our work, I could noticed that we don’t need extra information just to get the general idea of the title and from our point of view evaluate them.
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Microteaching using “ Task based method” (2nd module) Date: May, 13th Cristobal with Pablo / Daniela with Karla / Danilo with Ana Unfortunately, I could come to this microteaching due to the crash I have with Phonetics. (solemne II).
Place: Practicum center Melipulli School
Date: May, 14th
Wh question word structure My guide teacher asked me to prepared a PPt for today’s class and also some concrete materials to teach the structure of Wh question. I sent her the information in advance, but did not give any feedback about my class preparation. So I worked on my class with the resources prepared. Once again the class behaviour was a disaster. Today at school for very first time I felt lost. I am not feeling comfortable teaching 8th grades anymore. I feel I am not doing things right anymore. Whatever I do does not work with them. My guide teacher suggested to change my methodology with them. I have been question myself if my method applied is wrong or right, the discipline of the students, their demotivation, my guide teacher, I don’t know. In addition to this, Miss Daniela suggested me a couple of listening activities that will take me at least four hours to prepare, time I don’t have. But this new challenger in life will help me to impulse me to get more experience related to classroom management.
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