MYÂ ENGLISH JOURNEY CARLOS COCHA YACHAY TECH
MY ENGLISH JOURNEY Carlos Cocha Universidad de Investigación y Tecnología Experimental YACHAY TECH Level 06 Teacher: Mathew Mackey July 25, 2016 Urcuquí, Ecuador
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T Response Essay Investigative Essay Interpretation Essay Argumentation Essay Final Research Project Reflection
Carlos Cocha Hacienda San José s/n y Proyecto Yachay San Miguel de Urcuquí, Ecuador July 14, 2016 Dear Portfolio Reader,
My name is Carlos Cocha. Thank you very much for reading my English Language Portfolio. It is a collection of my best work in English and it helps me to increase my ability as an English language learner at Yachay Tech. My portfolio consists of several types of essays, a research project that I developed and investigated in my English course (level six) and also some reflections. I am proud of my portfolio, and really I am ready to continue my English learning process. As an English student, I have developed many skills since the beginning of this semester. When I started level six, I was very excited and expected to meet new people who speak very well English. Also, I felt the need to improve my skills in English to communicate perfectly with any English speaker. As a person, a value that I mostly have developed is responsibility, thanks to English. Almost every week, I had an assignment and always I accumulated all my obligations to the end and consequently I had low grades because my homework were done very quickly. Now, I have learned to organize my time better, giving all things their respective priority. In this semester not only have I learned to be responsible, I have become a better English language speaker, but the skill more improved for me in level 6 is my writing. I wrote different kind of essays and in each one my teacher gave me the structure of them. You can see my growth from the first until the last essay; for example, in my investigative essay I wrote in my thesis statement: “The use and production of study techniques from meaningful learning in the teaching-learning process will give students a more advanced
thinking and destroy poor academic practices�, this thesis was not properly supported with relevant facts or ideas and also transitions between paragraphs were not well noticed. Now, my essays are written in a correct way following all parameters and structure that Matthew taught me. In the majority of my essays my topic is Education because it is a topic that generates controversy around the world. However, I think that it is possible improve the education in Ecuador and convert it into a powerful country that does not depends to other countries. About my speaking, at the beginning of this semester I have set myself to improve my speaking. I feel that I need practice more and more because to communicate with others in a correct way the clear speaking is required. In this level I have had a lot of help from my classmates and my teacher Mathew. He showed us the right way to write a good essay and to prepare a correct expo. I really enjoyed this level and spending time with my classmates, we cooperated mutually reviewing our essays and witnessing our expositions because always there are new things to learn from others. I promise to keep improving my English skills, day after day, to become a skilled English language user, notice English around me and engage with English that really interest me. Here's a tip: as much as possible, read and listen to English that is easy and comfortable for you.
Thank you again for reading my portfolio. It is the result of my progress in my English learning and I hope you enjoy it.
Sincerely,
Carlos Cocha
R E S P O N S E E S S A Y
Education with Responsibility Carlos Eduardo Cocha Toapaxi Yachay Tech May, 2016
Education with Responsibility “Study hard. Do good and the good life will follow” (Parenti, 2014), is the most frequently mentioned phrase to inspire students to continue their studies. Today, the lack of employment, economic resources and social support are becoming decisive factors on "investing" or not in higher education. As Leef (2003) emphasizes “College itself isn’t an investment, just one way of increasing your value”. However, the mix between college and dedication will be the best personal investment that a student could do to get a fruitful job. In the article “Don’t Buy The Hype, College Education Is Not An Investment” George Leef (2003) discusses the educational value of college, human capital, and people’s productivity and the situation of recent college graduates to support his ideas. Also, he explains to us how employers reward workers for their productivity and not for their college degree. In contrast, he shows us how the Public Policy Institute of California proclaimed that a college degree “remains a good investment.” Nowadays, it’s clearly that studying in a college is the elevator that takes you to jobs in places where people who study for a longer time have the highest earnings. Currently, there are large companies which need to recruit staff with extensive academic and even scientific knowledge. Knowledge that in most cases is acquired in a good college, and if this is combined with a good preparation in various skills, eventually, students will become the best workers for forming part of large companies. Although, small business employers may prefer to employ staff without higher education and who have extensive experience in the workplace. This fact attenuates somehow the encouragement to pursue a college career. Many people, who lack resources, appreciate most the privilege of studying. As in the case of “student A” in Leef’s article, where in addition to acquiring a college degree
he prepares to have better skills. I think that's where life smiles to one because he has all the ability to find good work and thus to acquire a fruitful future. Another particular case shows ‘Student C’ from Leek’s article, she chooses not to go to college and, instead, she decides to prepare on her own. As in the previous case, life is very generous with her and she gets a job, in which she can develop properly. It is true that in the case of “student C” the own preparation is a good advantage, yet students should not rely only on this because it is not always possible to have the luck of “student C”. It is clear, having an academic degree does not give you a secure future because this depends of your preparation, perseverance, dedication and effort. Having a college degree is not enough to succeed. It is only one requirement. Today, it is common to hear that businesses, universities, governments, etc. are handled by people with a high academic degree (Rafael Correa for example). Then for sure, these people chose the career that reflects their true vocation and supplemented it with a diligent preparation. For this reason, they have managed to excel in the professional market. These people could be considered type A, yet in very low frequency are big business type C (Bill Gates for example). This fact is due to not everyone being able to succeed without a college degree. Additionally, it is common to hear stories of people which show repentance because of the lack of academic achievement; they mention that they get stuck occupationally without options to a better job or better pay. In this point the academic preparation and until the degree play a decisive role. In general, the ideal way to have success is to try to become a student like “type A” where besides obtaining a degree, it's necessary to get peculiar skills. On the other hand, students should not rely only in the correct preparation due to the fact that it is not always possible to have the luck of student C. Moreover, the world is surrounded by powerful people that have a college degree and, in low frequency, successful people
without it. There are many cases of people which show repentance due to the lack of college degree, they get stuck professionally without options to a better job or better pay. For these reasons, college and the good preparation should be seen as a personal investment that a student would make because this will provide us with the best job.
References Leef, F. (2003). Don't Buy The Hype, College Education Is Not An Investment. New York: Forbes Opinion. Parenti, V. (2014). Retrived from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/298152437801654614/ [April 20, 2016]
I N V E S T I G A T I V E Â E S S A Y
Poor Educational Learning vs Meaningful Learning Carlos Eduardo Cocha Toapaxi Yachay Tech University May 20, 2016
Poor Educational Learning vs Meaningful Learning Nowadays, one of the educational concerns is: how to get students to achieve really significant learning which ensures the understanding of knowledge. Therefore, it must be taken into consideration that to learn in a good way, we should know what the correct form to make it is. If poor academic practices based in memorization persists, students will have many academic problems in their future. That is why, it is necessary the performance of a system of studies which give us good results, such as meaningful learning. The use and production of study techniques of meaningful learning in the teaching-learning process will give students a more advanced thinking and destroy poor academic practices. Low academic efficiency is a relevant problem among students. The factors that influence can be varied: the socioeconomic and cultural level of the student, lack of interest and then bad grades, apathy, memorization, low self-esteem and disaffection, inability to solve and make decisions at the right time, curriculums in disagreement with student requirements, besides theory is not related to the practice, traditionalist teachers with indifference to the pedagogical changes, deficiency of techniques and methods of study (Mayer, 2002). Here are the barriers we have to overcome. Study techniques are methods, strategies and tools to facilitate the study and incorporate knowledge into the cognitive aspect of the individual (Mayer, 2002). A deficiency in good study techniques produces in the students a disinterest, a poor performance and an apathy for the studies (OCDE, 2003). And, if they cannot find enough motivation to centralize their efforts in learning and studying, even using most efficient learning technique in the world, they would not achieve their goal. Therefore, the most appropriate place to acquire motivation and knowledge is in the classroom. There, multiple active learning techniques should be applied in order to achieve significant
knowledge in students, through the improvement and application of strategies and study habits. Also, it is imperative to comprehend the connection between the school and students; the teacher plays a very important role in planning classes; this is where learning processes are developed. Students require a substantial knowledge to get their academic goals. To make this purpose, the teacher is required to teach techniques, strategies and teaching-learning habits in different times and spaces, to put aside rote learning (shortterm learning) (Mayer, 2002). Teachers and students should be more involved, more interrelated, thus improving the classroom environment for a more participatory, active and research class. One might ask: Why learning is not funny for many students and teaching for some teachers? Undoubtedly, for the student studying would be more entertaining, fun and interesting if the learned knowledge is useful and necessary. In which, study techniques must be flexible and adaptable to the strengths and weaknesses of each student (RodrĂguez, 2015). Also, techniques would be focused on: developing an efficient and critical reading, good planning the study and applying tools. To generate changes in the educational system, first it is recommended that educational institutions create awareness about the fundamental role performed by teachers in the acquisition of significant learning in their students, using strengthening techniques, strategies and study habits. After, it is necessary to generate motivation to acquire new learnings that would be applied in students' daily life. And also to achieve great results, experts in meaningful learning should develop an educational proposal for the government or the Ministry of Education in different countries in order to practice this educational type in later school years.
In conclusion, at present many shortcomings in the learning of many students have become clear; this is due to bad techniques of learning. The application of meaningful learning would help students in their academic life, due to the ability to provide knowledge to the student in the long term and improving their reasoning ability. But, it is vital that swift action be taken by the institution or government and students for implementation of this technique, with the purpose of putting aside teaching practices of aforetime (memorization without reasoning) and getting an evolution in the teaching and learning.
References Mayer, R. E. (2002). Rote versus meaningful learning. Theory into practice, 41(4), 226232. OCDE (2003). Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers. Suomen Maaraportti. Retrieved from: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/2/50/15011704.pdf Rodríguez, N. (2015). El aprendizaje significativo y las técnicas de estudio, en el primer añodel Bachillerato Técnico durante el año lectivo 2014- 2015, del Colegio Particular Nueva Generación de la ciudad de Quito. Retrived from: http://repositorionew.uasb.edu.ec/bitstream/10644/4835/1/T1846-MGE-RosasEl%20aprendizaje.pdf [May 13, 2016]
I N T E R P R E T A T I O N Â E S S A Y
Interpretation of the poem O Captain! My Captain! Cocha Carlos, Crespo Fabricio, Velastegui Camila Yachay Tech June17, 2016
Interpretation of poem “O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman What happens if some day you wake up and the person who you love is dying and you could not tell him how much you value his actions? Maybe the best way to express your feelings is to write a poem which has a strong meaning. It is what Walt Whitman made. Through the beauty of literature, he found the best form to pay tribute to Abraham Lincoln and express the commotion of all Americans caused by the death of his president. He is remembered for his great changes he made as the president of the United States in the politics and American society, such as the abolition of slavery. (Thomas, 2008). Whitman wrote the poem for this reason, but this poem could have more address. Walt Whitman’s poem, “O captain, my captain” express the feelings of unexpected loss of a respected person and also he wants us to appreciate people before it is too late. When someone unexpected dies, you have a mixture of feelings. The poem “O Captain, my Captain” tries to express the feeling of unexpected loss. The first feeling that you have when someone surprisingly die is the negation, you can’t believe it and after that, you feel all the pain. This description is present in Whitman’s poem. We can notice these feelings in many parts of it. The surprise of death is present in verse five when he said “But O heart! heart! heart!”. The repetition of word “heart” gives us the connotation that like a heart attack, this was surprisingly and someone begins to felt pain in the heart. After that verse, the poet said that his captain is “cold and dead”. Negation is present too, when in verse seven and eight at second strophe he expresses, “It is some dream that on the deck - You’ve fallen cold and dead” In these phrases you understand that when you want believe that everything is only a dream, you are wrong and all is the reality. Finally, you accept the dead
of the person with great sadness. You can see this feeling in the poem on the third strophe when he accepts that his captain is dead and he has a pain inside. The short verses of each strophe enhance the feelings of acceptance and resignation by the death of the Captain whom people love and admire. In the poem, the captain had led his people to good port but, unfortunately, he paid his good actions with his own life. In the first strophe, the atmosphere of joy ("the people all exulting", verse four) disappears gradually, step by step, leading to the reader to the terrible reality of the death. This fact is also evidenced with the use of metaphors on the verse seven: "the bleeding drops of red". With the use of verse seventeen that says "It is some dream you cannot really are on the bridge fallen cold and dead" and with others, the author represents the suffering, pain and impotence for not being able to do anything for the one who you love. Whitman through this poem express gratitude in different ways. But the true message behind this poem is that we should appreciate people who are around us, their actions and the value of each one of them because we do not know if this person will be there tomorrow. Nobody has purchased life and nobody knows what will happen because the future is uncertain. The message communicated by this poem is deep. It makes us think about how many times when a person die, newly his family beginning to remember every good action, every learning that this person left but is too late because this person cannot hear, feel or say something. In this poem, Whitman honors Abraham Lincoln for his great actions for the American community, especially for the United States because in his two periods as President, he did great changes in politics and society and he fought shoulder to shoulder with his followers to get the improvements that the country needed. (Thomas, 2008)
Finally, this poem gives a set of feelings that are, in turn, felt by the reader and identify with the writer. The universality of content and message of the poem make this identification real and alive. The pain produced by the death of a friend is communicated through an expression of helplessness caused by the void left, and the good actions performed in life by the person who has died. How we saw before at the analysis, the true meaning expressed by Walt Whitman in the poem “O Captain, my Captain” is give the message that we have to value the people, because we didn’t know when they left this world and maybe, we could not said thank you for all. This poem is a great tribute for Abraham Lincoln that express very well how American country felt with the die of its president but this poem not only has this meaning. Today the poem “O Captain, my Captain” can be considerate to express mixed feelings about the unexpected departure of parent, a counselor, a friend, who is died but left life lessons and did noble actions that remain in the minds and hearts of each person that feel gratitude and has a debt with him.
References Whitman, Walt. O Captain! My Captain! San Francisco: Printed for Albert M. Bender by Cecil & James Johnson at the Windsor, 1935. Print. Thomas, B. P. (2008). Abraham Lincoln: a biography. SIU Press.
A R G U M E N T A T I O N Â E S S A Y
Should Censorship be practiced in schools? Carlos Eduardo Cocha Toapaxi Yachay Tech University June 20, 2016
Should Censorship be practiced in schools? Do you imagine a word where everyone say vulgar and incorrect terms? Everyone see the world in a different way. It is a reason because there is content which is not appropriate and is illegal for others. It is necessary promote the good habits to maintain the culture in a correct way; also a common place where people learn and practice habits is in school. However, not only good habits are learned. Censorship should be practiced in schools in order to preserve the good coexistence between people and to avoid harmful outcomes for others. In schools there are words or images that are not appropriate and their use create social conflicts, for example racial slurs. These kind of issues require a level of censorship to promote peace between the communities where people of different races are living and interrelated between them. These type of discriminations are presents in different forms such as books, TV programs, internet, etc. That is why the best form to avoid conflicts is remove them from bookshelves, classrooms, or in general eliminating them from school. “Taste and appropriateness came down to a question of degree rather than kind� said Keen Petrees, in 2005; with this text he wants to express that best way to express your feelings with others is with respect and sensitivity, using words that do not cause discomfort or nonconformity. For this reason, censorship of inappropriate terms in order to avoid disputes between teachers and students have to be carried out in any educational institution. To convey your emotions and feelings, you need to be expressed in a tone a bit vulgar towards others; since it is not always possible to stay out right, this is good but without seeking matter of great dispute. In addition, there is some content in texts or images that are
not entirely inappropriate because it helps creating matter of discussion for the exchange of opinions as racism, of course if there is always respect and enjoyment in the discussion. It is why the content evaluated as potential danger against welfare of the community should be properly assessed to avoid censorship of material that could generate academic value. Currently, the correct control of censorship of inappropriate material is causing much controversy but the right thing is to implement it, since it is necessary censor all kinds of material that generates disrespect among people. In addition, if we take into account the entire history of interracial fights and conflicts for using derogatory and vulgar terms, it is more advisable to censor this material because it is better that live among people who say whatever comes to mind (without respect or consideration ). In conclusion, there is content (images or world in books) that should be censured by the discomfort and suffering created by its misuse. Also, this censorship should be correctly regulated to censure the content that is really inappropriate to learn in schools. Censorship should be applied in each academic center in order to maintain the good customs and the order in the community.
References Petress, k. (2003). The Role of Censorship in Schools
F I N A L Â R E S E A R C H P R O J E C T
Poor Traditional Learning vs Meaningful Learning Carlos Eduardo Cocha Toapaxi Yachay Tech University July 8, 2016
Poor Traditional Learning vs Meaningful Learning Nowadays, one of the concerns that more afflicting the education system is how to get that students fully understand the knowledge that are taught in schools. If poor academic practices based on memorization persists students will have many academic problems in their future. Then it is important the quickly implementation of a system of studies which give us good results in the educational field, such as meaningful learning. The use of study techniques from meaningful learning in the teaching-learning process will give students easier ways to learn knowledge to long term improving their reasoning ability and do away with poor academic practices. Around the world, there are different types of learning, but only one twentieth of the world's countries have a good learning system. Low academic efficiency is a relevant problem among students and research about how and why not students learn is related with academic achievement, curriculums, methodology, etc. Accordingly, good learning is stopped by different factors such as: socioeconomic and cultural level, lack of interest, apathy, low selfesteem, curriculums in disagreement with student requirements, traditionalist teachers with indifference to the pedagogical changes, rote teaching (Mayer, 2002). Here are the barriers that a country has to overcome in order to get a true quality education. The main barrier to overcome is rote learning, also called repetitive. This type of learning occurs when the new information are related to each other arbitrarily, lacking in meaning for the individual learning (RodrĂguez, 2015). This traditional learning is based solely on memory without some kind of working or effort by students to integrate new knowledge and relate them to existing concepts in their cognitive structure (the set of concepts, ideas that an individual has in a particular field of knowledge). Also, it has the features of being a shortlived learning, which means that most knowledge is forgotten. However, to avoid intellectual
decline is necessary to implement a learning system that has generated big changes in education and to the life of the students. The educational system called to be "the savior" of education is meaningful learning who is designed to interrelate the previous knowledge of students with new knowledge and produce the insertion of these in the student's cognitive structure. The implementation of meaningful learning will contribute to change the traditionalist connotations used in the twentyfirst century and achieve: the implementation of more participatory, active, and research class; the teacher and learner are more connected, more interrelated, thus improving the classroom environment; the socialization of topic taught in class and the use of prior learning will help students to build the new cognitive conceptions (RodrĂguez, 2015). And also, this kind of learning gives students: a more open thought to changes required for future learning, to be critical and reflective, active rather than passive. It is imperative to have a big intentionality for studying in order to make this possible. If the intentionality for studying is insufficient, the student will be limited only to memorize the content in a mechanical and repetitive way. If the intentionality is high, students will have several relationships between new and already acquired knowledge. However, the motivation in the student and teacher skills to enable and motivate their students depends much for either of these two circumstances (RodrĂguez, 2015). Thus, the limited ability to motivate students cause many academic failures. That is why it is imperative to comprehend the connection between teachers and students. The most appropriate place to learn is in the classroom, where multiple active learning techniques should be applied in order to achieve significant knowledge in students, through the improvement and application of strategies and study habits (Mayer, 2002). In schools, teachers play a very important role in planning classes where learning processes are developed. Because
students need a substantial knowledge to get their academic goals, the teacher is required to teach techniques, strategies and teaching-learning habits in different times and spaces to put aside poor academic practices like rote learning (short-term learning). Study techniques are methods, strategies and tools to facilitate the study and incorporate knowledge into the cognitive aspect of the individual. In addition, study techniques must be flexible and adaptable to the strengths and weaknesses of each student (Mayer, 2002). A deficiency in these generates in students: disinterest, a poor performance and an apathy for studies. So teachers and students should be more involved, more interrelated, thus improving the classroom environment for a more participatory, active and research class. When teachers become collaborators and guides of their students, students learn to learn and also they develop their own learning process with new intellectual abilities that allow them to have a critical and creative thinking (OCDE, 2003). One might ask: Why studying is not funny to many students and teaching for some teachers? Undoubtedly, studying would be more entertaining, fun and interesting if the learned knowledge is useful and completely necessary for the student's life. In which, study techniques must be flexible and adaptable to the strengths and weaknesses of each student (RodrĂguez, 2015). These techniques would be focused on: developing an efficient and critical reading, good planning the study and applying tools destined to improve the quality of learning. In general, the advantages of meaningful learning are facilitate the acquisition and retention of new knowledge. However, as requirements to achieve this learning are: that the material presented by the teacher to the student should be organized to facilitate the reconstruction of knowledge, other requirement is that students connect new knowledge with previous, understand them, and they should also have a long-term memory because otherwise they will soon forget everything. Finally, it is necessary a favorable attitude of the student,
since learning cannot occur if the student does not want; this latter is a component of emotional and attitudinal dispositions, in which the teacher can only influence through motivation. To generate changes in the educational system, first it is recommended that educational institutions create awareness about the fundamental role performed by teachers in the acquisition of significant learning, using strengthening techniques, strategies and study habits. After, motivation is necessary to acquire new learnings. Finally, to achieve great results, experts in meaningful learning should develop an educational proposal for the government or the Ministry of Education in a country with a poor academic system in order to practice this new educational type in later school years. It is true that current teaching and learning techniques supposedly have created excellent professionals, able to face the world and solve problems without many issues. That is why the mentality of traditional teachers who validate the old teaching methodology (like rote learning) still exist. Other controversial topic about education is the belief that motivation for the study has nothing to do with the amount of knowledge acquired; for many people, students are only fulfilling its obligation to study and get good grades. Another notable viewpoint is the belief that the same education system should apply to all students and many educators do not see that every student has a different learning level or that their obligation is to have the same learning ability. Now, there have been good professionals who are currently doing a good job, but we must not give full credit to their former teachers the safest thing is that every student develops independently their own learning system (a form of meaningful learning). On one side, motivation is keystone to teaching and learning and now is becoming the cornerstone in the creation of good professionals because it focuses on alerting students that the best for their future is a good acquisition of knowledge Also, if students cannot find enough motivation to
centralize their efforts for learning and studying, even using an efficient learning technique, they would not achieve their goal. On the other side, there are different levels of learning in students (low, medium, high), and who needs to realize that every student learns differently and this is essential to enhance learning. In conclusion, at present there are shortcomings in the learning of many students due to bad techniques in the teaching and learning process. Techniques based in to achieve a meaningful learning would help students in their academic life, due to the ability to provide them knowledge to long term and improving their reasoning ability. However, it is vital a faster implementation of this techniques in the institution as government regulation with the purpose of putting aside teaching practices of aforetime (memorization without reasoning) and getting an evolution in the teaching and learning process.
References Mayer, R. E. (2002). Rote versus meaningful learning. Theory into practice, 41(4), 226-232. OCDE (2003). Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers. Suomen Maaraportti. Retrieved from: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/2/50/15011704.pdf [June 28, 2016]. Rodríguez, N. (2015). El aprendizaje significativo y las técnicas de estudio, en el primer año del Bachillerato Técnico durante el año lectivo 2014- 2015, del Colegio Particular Nueva
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