Polette Cevallos English Language Program Level 6 Yachay Tech, Ecuador
Perspectives:
My English Journal By Polette Cevallos
January 9, 2017 Imbabura – Ecuador
Table of Contents 1. Portfolio Letter 2. Response Essay 3. Literary Analysis Essay
4. Interpretation Essay 5. Final Research Project Essay
Polette Cevallos Yachay Tech University Imbabura, Ecuador
December 09, 2016
Dear Portfolio Reader:
My name is Polette Cevallos and this is my English language Portfolio, where you can find the collection of three of my essays and a final research project, which reflect my progress during this semester at level 6 at Yachay Tech. I am very grateful that you read this that is a reflection of my effort and dedication.
During this period, I have set goals to improve my learning in the subject. Although there is a goal that I cannot fulfill yet, this part is understanding people when they speak. However, I believe that in the others I have advanced more, my greatest advance has been writing and reading compared to previous levels. For example, before I did all my searches of other subjects only in Spanish, nowadays I have dedicated to searches in English, I started to read a book in English to enrich my vocabulary, and even in my department, we have implemented a rule of speaking at least two days a week in English, as I believe that this will help me with the problem of speaking English in public.
I consider that the first essay reflects how I started this level, showing all the failures that I had, if we compare the first with the last one will see a change in the grammar, the choice of words and the structure of the text. For example, in the development of the first essay I limited my sentences and my expressions due to the very limited lexicon I presented, I used only very common words that made my text understandable. During the development of each essay that I performed during the semester, I learned new things like, for example, the proper use of punctuation marks. I think that my major problem in all essays was the connection between the ideas and the use of you and we in my essays. Now, I always make sure to avoid using you and we. My favorite essay was “literary analysis� because this essay was based on a very interesting story and with a great interpretation that contained in each phrases.
Learning English in Yachay has been a difficult experience, full of responsibilities, but with great benefits to future. I know that during all these levels I have improved my ability in English, although I know that in other topics like listening, I will have to continue working to master them. I promise that despite finishing the English program, I will set goals to fulfill to improve, and I promise that I will not to forget everything I have learned.
Sincerely
Polette Cevallos
Higher Education Polette Cevallos Yachay Tech University September 30th, 2016
Higher Education People know that when they end high school, they should enter into a university to obtain a college degree because of their parents’ advice about having a good future. According with George Leef, college who obtain a college degree do not have a guaranteed future employment. (Leef, 2013, pg. 1) In fact, today many people who are not enrolled in college have well-paid jobs and people with college degree have a work in a different field. However, university gives them the opportunity of improving their knowledge and human quality, but the question is: should they study at university or bet on luck and find a job according to their abilities? First of all, A comparison between skills and intelligence. Second, there are many reasons for students to go to college. Finally, the contradiction about studying or not in the college, due to that in some jobs now only ask them for end high school. Firstly, the compare between skills with intelligence. According to the article “Don’t buy the hype, college education is not an investment” when a recent college graduated find a job, many times it is most important to have skills, but intelligence cannot be considered a skill. However, we can say that we have the ability from birth, but we can obtain intelligence with experiences. Moreover, there are a contradiction, since people do not know that intelligence is related to one's own thinking skills, even it can be said that a skilled person is a smart person. So, what happen with a person who is very intelligent, but do not have important achievements as a result of their intelligence? We can say that person is not smart, is only a false appearance, maybe this people have not developed enough their intelligence to be successful. That is, their studies have not prepared them enough for reality. On the other hand, according with the text is important to invest in education. There are many reasons for students to go to college. Originally, people have need to obtain a college degree because with the passing of the years, employees who had only go to high school are
fired for hiring people with university education, so that people are concerned and want to enter into a university. However, this is not the only reason, also students can enjoy various resources of universities, as contacts with some companies, which can also give them an early job. Higher education could give them a better income, job stability. Thus they can improve their lifestyle. Lastly and very important, when they go to college, they can obtain knowledge and experience in their preferred field, so they can help their country progress in areas such as technology or medicine, among others. Finally, the contradiction about studying or not. Taking into account that in some jobs now only ask them for a bachelor degree. Most students that finished high school, enroll in college to get their degree and more important today have a good income to remunerate the effort of each year in college. However, having a degree does not always guarantee an immediate work. Many times, there are students who finished high school, look for a job for various reasons such as lack of money, do not have the support of their parents, among others. When students get basic jobs, like selling in a store or in a restaurant, their bosses see their skills and decide to give them a better paid and important work positions. Knowing that these employees do not have a college degree. Then analyzing this, there are questions about if we should study at university or simply hope that our skills are enough to succeed in life. This thought is a little illogical because they must go to college because they want knowledge and intelligence and in this way have skills which will serve to succeed at work. People who get a job without a degree are people who had an opportunity of succeed. However, if they had the opportunity to study surely would have done. Also depends on each person. For example, if someone trusts himself and decides that when he finishes the college is going to get his own company, but this need previous studies to have success, everything depends on how innovative is the idea. However, work without planning will surely not succeed.
In conclusion, George Leef wants to invest in higher education because is a good decision for the future in aspects like economic, a good job, in others. It is important to improve knowledge, human quality and intelligence that is related to skills. These two things fundamental to having an excellent job. Is true that students who just have gone to high school, can have jobs. However, people will never get a well-paid job.
Reference Leef, G. (2013). Don’t buy the hype, college education is not an investment, Education.
September
27,
2016.
Retrieved
from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2013/06/12/dontbuythehypecolle geeducationisnotaninvestment/#56b23f047ee6 1/11
Polette Cevallos Matthew Mackey L6-001 13/10/2016
Indifference “There is nothing harder that softness of the indifference” (Montalvo). At the end of the story “Why Don’t You Dance” by Raymond Carver, the narrator say that she was angry because she could not understand the objective of dance, then she did not decide to complain because after analyzing she understood the reason and her total indifference to the situation, the man had lost something important and that was his love. There are three aspects in history and in the event that she should understand. First, the curious reason of why man sells his things for little money. Second, the way that the man drinks whiskey. And finally, the reason of why the man would wanted to see them dancing. First, in the story "Why do not you dance" by Raymond Carver says that man puts low prices on the things he sells, even reflected the little interest in money. In fact, at that precise moment she had to notice something strange or see that there is a problem, and she should not have been very indifferent to the situation, as it was noticed that her only interest was the purchase of things. Then, when man drinks again and again without precaution (Carver, 1981). Shows an aspect of the motive of the problems and a story of the garage sale because this man does not sell his things, he sells his story, his good moments with his love. However, this cannot be easy of understand when someone want to know what happens? But, for example, someone walk on
street and see a sad person, is sure that this person will ask what happens? Is like a common sense of all people against such a situation. Finally, the dance can reflect maybe there is a reason why the man wants to watch it. It is possible that before, he danced with his love and that this action has many remembers for him. She should ask him why it is important dance? Maybe the man would want to do it one time more. This is evidence of a story about the sell furniture. Furthermore, maybe he would want that the furniture will be part of a new story like his. In conclusion, she was very indifferent with the man because there are many aspects for understand the problem or the reasons of why the man sells his things, and would want to watch that they dance. Also, he shows that the furniture represents the happiness that now he does not have. Maybe then she can understand but it is not necessary that she fell angry in these moment. She should help.
Reference Carver, R. (1981). Why Don’t You Dance? October 13, 2016. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B5RLgvfNbX5WDgwbGtPakFiU2c
Interpretation of the photograph “The Holocaust� Evelin Pomasqui, Jordy Cevallos & Polette Cevallos Yachay Tech University November 18, 2016
Interpretation of the photograph “The Holocaust”
In the 1945, there were around 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis in the concentration camps, but why did they perform this kind of holocaust? Holocaust is a word of Greek origin, meaning "sacrifice by fire" (Bible Hub, 2004). The Nazis, who came to power in Germany in January 1933, believed that Germans were "racially superior" than others such as Jews. This photograph is very important and impressive because it shows the atrocious actions made by the Nazis to the Jews and others. The photography “Holocaust”, by an anonymous author, shows the fatal consequences of racist ideologies. In the photography, the Nazis don’t seem to care about what they were seeing because they were indoctrinated in their racist ideology. the photograph shows the cold expressions on their faces. The racist doctrine had caused the lack of humanity in the Nazis regime when they performed the holocaust. It is why the Nazis show expressionless faces in the photograph. The photograph was taken, by one of the Nazis, in the Buchenwald concentration camp where millions of Jewish were fatally killed. On the other side, in one window of one of the house is shown two wreaths which may represent Christmas epoch. Thus, it proves that Nazis celebrated their Christmas even if there were Jewish bodies stacked like garbage in the same place. Moreover, the lack of graves for dead Jewish people is evident by the stacked corpses in the photograph. This could prove they are indoctrinated in their racist ideology. By their racist ideology, Nazis developed a system of oppression for Jewish people in the concentration camps. The captured in the photograph. Where we can see the satisfaction of a barbaric “victory” in Nazis’ faces produced in their concentration camps. Analyzing the context of where the photography is involved, we can infer that Nazis were manipulated and influenced by a master
mind. Their ideologies empowered to their followers to perform methods that threaten the lives of all those who were prisoners. With this, Nazis lost their sensibility and humanity. In fact, in the photograph we can see the serious state of malnutrition presented by the corpses. It was a result of being subjected to low-nutrient diets, such as coffee where the only consolation was that the coffee was hot (McDonald, 2010). Even, they stripped them of their clothes and belongings to expose them to extreme temperature conditions with uniforms not sheltered and codified for differentiate them and knowing to which group they belong: if Jews, political prisoners, emigrants, and among a wide variety of people who were imprisoned (USHMM). The Nazis called it “satisfaction and victory” when they practiced their methods of human torture, exercising the power of decision over who lives or dies, affecting innocent people with that. Until 1945, the Nazis felt like a superior race. On the other hand, nowadays there exist an “evolution” of this expressions of racism. Racist ideologies have undergone several changes in the last 50 years. Even 50 years later the inhumane way that Jewish people were treated shows how the consequences of racist ideologies could perform. Nowadays, there are several leaders that influence the people with a racist ideology. It is why the countries have changed their ideologies at the same time as they have changed their leaders. For example, the president elect Donald Trump of the USA has proposed to deport to every Latino from the US because he says that all of them are “rapist” and the worst is that there are some of people that believe it. Nowadays, there are not a pile of death naked Latinos in the US streets (yet). However, the manifestation of racism is going to appear in this country as soon as he starts to be the president of US. We consider that Latinos in US, from the beginning of the presidency of Donald Trump, will suffer the implementation of his racist ideologies in his policies. In fact, he has expressed this openly to them. The racist ideologies have made to the society a set of people that hate others just by the color of their eyes, skin and hair; even by their culture and traditions.
The photography “The Holocaust” represents a single sample of fatal events that happened in the Nazi concentration camps. These actions were empowered by racist ideologies. Nowadays, there exist racism but it is not expressed as the same way as in the 1940’s. Nazis believed that Germans were "racially superior". This photograph is very important and impressive because it shows the atrocious actions made by the Nazis to the Jews and others “racially inferior”. The photograph “The Holocaust” shows the consequences of racist ideologies, so that we remember that "The people who forget their history are condemned to repeat it" (Santayana, 1905).
References Bible Hub. (2004). HolokautĂłma meaning. Retrieved from: http://biblehub.com/greek/ strongs_3646.htm JTA. The Jerusalem Post. (2016). 9 times Donald Trump has been compared to Hitler. Retrieved from: http://www.jpost.com/printarticle.aspx?id=447358 McDonald,
R.
(2010).
Methods
to
kill.
Retrieved
from:
http://la8period7.pbworks.com/w/page/25951514/Methods%20to%20Kill Santayana G. (1905). The Life of Reason Phases of human progress. Published by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1905. Retrieved from: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15000/15000h/vol1.html The
Holocaust.
Anonymous
(after
1936).
Buchenwald.
Retrieved
from:
http://tophistorias.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/holocausto.jpg USHMM. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Concentration camps, 1933–1939 Buchenwald. Retrieved from: https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/ article.php?ModuleId=10005198s
Pedagogical Psychology Polette Cevallos Yachay Tech University December 4, 2016
Abstract
This research looks about the importance of psychology on the pedagogy, showing the different points to develop in this educational context. This research draws upon mostly in integrate educational theories, teaching strategies, and other pedagogic tools in meaningful and useful ways to better address the needs of students. Where Gardner himself asserts that educators should not follow one specific theory or educational innovation when designing instruction but instead employ customized goals and values appropriate to their teaching and student needs. This focus explains the peculiarities of each person, showing how complex and impressive the human mind is when making reference to the way of studying.
Pedagogical Psychology Children are like a boats that at the beginning do not have a map or compass to reach harbor. Education is their guide, which creates curiosity to learn and discover the genius they carry within. Applied psychology in pedagogy can transform education, that is to say, the way of studying and learning in class, with help suitable methods created for each type of child in Ecuador, strengthening and enhancing their skills and cognitive abilities. But in truth, what elements and factors favor education in the process of teaching and learning when using psychology? There is not only one answer to this question because it depends of each student However, it is possible start to knowing how students develop with the methods proposed by psychology, for later analyze the use of these resources applied to pedagogy, and how it is possible to transform education. The purpose of working with pedagogy with psychological ideals is to change the educational regime and fulfill the aspirations of a society through tutorial action, academic orientation and attention to diversity, achieving a full development of the student. In this investigation shows four important points: the objective of the pedagogical psychology, the different tools that discovered la psychology, the techniques and appropriate form of education and learning methods based on the characteristics of each student. In the first place, Pedagogical psychology seeks to find the appropriate methods for the training of students in physical, psychological, ethical and social area. Today, Professor Ken Robinson says, all the countries of the world are reforming their education for many reasons, like economy and culture (Robinson). According to worldwide evidence, which says the countries with successful teaching methods, that is to say, have standards that tend to improve quality and transform their education system (Ministry of Education, 2012). To transform education in a positive way requires adequate methods that pedagogy proposes based on studies in different areas. According to the Ministry of Education of Ecuador, the pedagogy guides, improves performance, and obtains high standards in the school trajectory (2012). Although it
is difficult to find the right method for each student, Ecuador has applied in high schools and schools the learning styles that help to see the strengths of each student and to guide teachers in choosing the right method, obtaining a transformation in education. These two branches of education work together to find the strengths to emphasize and guide in order to create the precise method of teaching. In the second place, psychology can discover the strengths of students through different tools, such as testing about the ways of studying. Psychology is related to pedagogy as it seeks to find the well-being of each human being not only in his life at home, but also his school life, so that they can have a transformation in their form of study. Psychology arises from the interest of pedagogy for the psychological methods of the educational process and the interest that exists for the practice of its theories to the educational context. Pedagogy along with psychology is a strong and fundamental area for educational transformation, since its studies in humans show optimum and positive results to be implemented in schools. The psychology based on results obtained in tests of personality, raises techniques and ways of improving education. For example, In Ecuador, president Rafael Correa has done a revolution in education with changes in the syllabus and the way of teaching of teachers. Additionally, this investigation shows the different techniques and appropriate form of education, which should be implemented in all the schools. The techniques obtained improve to learning, such as the educational level of the institution and for obvious reasons transform education in a very positive way. However, before putting into practice any technique, it is important to analyze two fundamental aspects, which come accompanied of an own method of study of each person; the first is that the environment that surrounds the student must be comfortable and where they can feel good, the second is the time because it is important to maximize and organize every minute that is going to be devoted to study. This depends on each person because each one acts and studies according to their different intelligences, for this
reason, study techniques can be guided by the theory of multiple intelligences developed by the psychologist Howard Gardner, who discovered that people have eight oy more intelligences: linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, musical intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, naturalistic intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, and intrapersonal intelligence (Davis). Each student must have his / her own learning method as each one has his / her own characteristics. Psychology identifies the characteristics of each student to generate the appropriate techniques to improve their learning. This psychological analysis seeks the appropriate method, so that each student can be comfortable at the time of study. For this reason, it is important to take into account the theory of multiple intelligences because it was proposed by the psychologist Gardner, who obtained information when studying people and their way of acting. This is fundamental because these techniques proposed by psychologists can help students so that they never lose the passion to study and have a university degree, and avoid the current problems of not investing in higher education as explained in the article “Don’t Buy The Hype, College Education Is Not An Investment� (Leef, 2013). However, an erroneous analysis by psychology can force you to follow a method that is not suitable for the characteristics of each person. Psychology has been responsible for controlling behavior in an empirical and experimental way, becoming a teaching that modifies the behavior of the student. Pedagogical methods obtained with the help of psychology condition children to perform previously defined activities, according to their characteristics and ways of learning, restricting students of the free choice of their own method to learn the content of the class. And for this reason, it may happen that students do not learn the content correctly, that they do not want to participate in the activities, generate doubts and it may happen that they begin to have a wrong concept of effective study. Even, for the reason of bad diagnostics, the development of students would be
affected in their homework because they will not perform of the best way for example, in schools there are vocational orientation departments, that has psychologists, where students can go with doubts and academics problems for that these professionals solve with orientation, but they simply measure with standardized tests without potential. To think that psychology is opposed to the freedom and choice of the students, goes against the true objectives of pedagogical methods of psychology, since psychology seeks to improve teaching with tutorial action, academic orientation and, above all, the attention to the diversity of students. Thus, psychology creates teaching indispensable methods, that respect fundamental human rights and freedoms. In addition, psychology is a guide that is suggested to all students, and that teachers adopt to improve the ability of their students, but if students are not satisfied or feel free to develop their intelligence, they can always go to a new evaluation to solve the problem, since the psychological pedagogy seeks a solution for the well-being of students and their parents. Even, there are problems with young children, the same teachers or parents are can ask for help when they see that their children are not advancing in class. In conclusion, to improve the education of the students it is necessary to apply psychological methods that analyze the characteristics and abilities of each student. Countries have used techniques for their development and transformation of education. The pedagogical methods have hoped to find the physical and emotional well-being of all the students, so that the information is better assimilated, and the results are optimal and positive, all methods should be oriented in the theory of multiple intelligences of Howard Gardner. However, before putting any method into practice, it is important to analyze two aspects: the environment and time, which are the beginning to have a success in the study of each person, which will be suitable without taking away the freedom, and their free development, since the psychological pedagogy always search that students are satisfied with their way of study, and they do not feel frustration with each new subject-matter.
Reference Davis, K. (n.d.). The Theory of Multiple Intelligences . Retrieved from https://howardgardner01.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/443-davis-christodoulou-seidermi-article.pdf Leef, G. (2013)Don’t Buy The Hype, College Education Is Not An Investment. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B5RL-gvfNbX5ZzB4ei15MndQdjQ Ministry of Education (2012). Educational quality standards. Obtenido de https://educacion.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/03/estandares_2012.pdf Robinson, K. (n.d).Changing Paradigms. Retrieved from
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B5RL-gvfNbX5ZzB4ei15MndQdjQ
Sincerely, Polette Cevallos