Task 5: Jane Howes' talk

Last Friday, we had a talk about the use of text books in English learning. It was very interesting because we can learn more about how we can use them in our lessons and how they are organised.

The speaker was Janes Howes. She is a teacher at our university, so she trains future teachers. Moreover, as she wants time for her family, she writes books at home; in this way, she can work as the same time as she is spending time with her sons. It gives her more freedom. She sometimes works with kids in order to know more about nowadays situation and to check the effectiveness of her methodology.

During the talk, she explained us the organization of her books and the importance of a type of text at the beginning of the unit. It also includes some CLIL lessons. Furthermore, she introduce us the teachers' book which contains ideas for lessons and different related activities that we can do apart for the ones in the book.

In addition to her presentation, we did different activities which her book includes. We did as a child and then we evaluated the structure and objectives. It helps us to think about how we can related them with other kind of activities and what themes of the language can we work with them. Personally, I really enjoy the one about doing a poem with an animal. It was the first time that I have thought that writing a poem is easy!

To sum up, I would like to say that I have changed my point of view about text books because, in some subjects, we have talked about teaching without books; but thanks to her speech I have realise that we can prepare original and dynamic lessons including text books. More people like Jane should write these books in order to increase their effectiviness.

Task 4: Brown Bear, Brown Bear.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear. What do you see? Watch the video and answer the following questions:

1. Why is this an appropriate story to read with both preschool and primary children? Give at least 3 different reasons. 

• Pictures help children to understand and learn the new vocabulary about animals and colours, which are the most typical topic at these ages.
• The repetitions can help children to memorize basic grammar structures of questions and answers (Whats do you see? / I see a … looking at me) that they can use in their real lives. It can also introduce pronouns in a very realistic and natural way, the ones that they use more in these ages (I/me, we/us, you). Moreover, they can realize that in English we put the adjective before the noun.
• It includes creativity because the animals are different colours, which are not the common ones, for example: purple cat. Also, they can feel that they are characters of this story because at the end they are the ones who are looking.

2. How would you use this story with your students? Think of two before reading activities, two during reading activities and two after reading activities that you could do with your students if you read this story in class. 

BEFORE READING ACTIVITIES

• Ask about what they can see in the cover to start working the vocabulary of colours and animals. They can thinkwhat animals might appear during the story in order to know what vocabulary they have already known.
• Let them talk about what they think that is going to appen in the story. As they are very young, we can make simple questions to help them to give their oppinion.

DURING READING ACTIVITIES

• Let them make the noise of each and animal to keep their attention and help them to understand and memorize the vocabulary. Moreover, they can do gestures in the questions (what do you seer?) and in the ansewers (I see a … looking at me) to reinforce comprehension.
• As there are many repetitons, we can say all together the question (what do you see?). Also, in some pictures we can ask them if they know the animal or the colour.

AFTER READING ACTIVITIES

• Ask questions to try to memorize the vocabulary and to work the comprehension (what colour is the duck? who is blue? what does brown bear see?)
• Let them draw their own animal and then we can create the same story but with our own characters.

3. What age and grade would your students be?

I think that the most aproppiate grade for this story would be first or second grade of primary because it is when they learn this vocabulary and when they can start to learn basic structures of grammar which can be used in their speaking in real situations.

4. What language objectives would you have for this story.

The language objectives would be the vocabulary of animals and colours. Moreover, they can learn that in English the adjective goes before the noun. They can learn the grammar structure of present simple in questions and affirmative sentences, too. It also introduce in a very natural way the pronouns that they usually use when they start to speak English (I/ me and you; it also includes we/us).

5. Find one other story written by either Eric Carle or Bill Martin Jr. that you could also use with your students. Eric Carle has a wonderful website you might want to explore.

I would chose “The Tiny seed” because I believe that it is a story which includes many different vocabulary (seasons, places, plants…) and grammar structures, so it can be a good option to read with the oldest students and to work their comprehension and evaluate their knowladge. Moreover, it keeps children attention because they would want to know what is going to happend next to the seed. Finally, we can related it with other subjects as Siences and it teach them values as well.

TASK 3: WORLD TEACHERS' DAY

This is a letter that I have written to one of the most especial teachers that I met at school. It is for Raquel, who was my tutor in preschool and a teacher of my training school. She has helped my a lot along all my live and I want to flatter all her work and help.

October 5th, 2014

Dear Raquel,

I'm writing this letter for you because today is your day, today is the world teacher's day.  At the univeristy, we were expected to write a letter for one teacher and as soon as my professor explained the activity, your name came up to my mind. I have done this many times, but today, especially, I want to tell you THANKS!

Thank you for being an amazing teacher and a incredible person. You were very patient and sentintive; even if we weren't the perfect students, you put a lot of effort, not only to teach us, you educated us, too. Personally, I felt very comfortable in your class because you told me my mistakes as well as you flatted my work when it was good. But your best point was the empathy; the most important thing you did for me was encouraging me to be a better person and student and to don't forget my dreams and to follow them. Moreover, you helped me with my problems and you calmed down my mother.

But it wasn't the end. I learnt a lot from you when I was a child, but it was amazing when we run into the school where you work and where I did my teaching training. You began again to be my model and I appraciated more all things that you did for us.

So that's why I'm writing this letter. Today is your day and I don't want to lose the chance to say thank you one more time and to give you all the appreciation that you merit. A big part of my personality and my future are your fault.

I hope you continue being the same amazing teacher because, one day, I would like to be like you.

Enjoy your day and every day that you teach your pupils!! I hope see you soon and explain you my new experiences.

                                                                                                              Yours sincerely,

                                                                                                                              Patricia Ortiz

Task 2: Me as a teacher

I have prepared this video in which I explain what characteristics I want to have in the future as a teacher.

Task 1

Me and my expectations for this subject 

My name is Patricia Ortiz Castro. I'm 20 years old and I live in Barcelona where I study Primary Education and I work as a monitor and private teacher. I have known that I want to be a teacher since I was three years old and I started the school. I loved the job that my teachers did for us, so I started to play with my family, toys and friends, I was the teacher of all of them! I have mantained my idea of being a teacher since then, so being a primary teacher is a dream for me and I am very demanding with myself in order to develop my skills as a teacher and to be very competent in the future. I would like to be the perfect teacher for my students.

For this reasons, my propouse is to enjoy and take advantage of this subject because I consider that it can be a good way to learn new resourses and develop my skills for my future as a teacher. Furthermore, I love English, it was my favourite subject when I was young; so, in this course, I would like to learn how I can transmit all this passion to make this subject enjoyable and interesting to my pupils. Moreover, I hope to learn to be critical with different kinds of activities and to see other points of view that can make me realise some aspects that I have never considered. I am well disposed to learn from my teacher, my classmates and myself.

My group: The trainees

I am a member of The trainees group. This team is formed by Alberto, Brigit, Mar, Ana and me. I didn't know teammates; only Ana was my friend before we started this subject. We didn't have group, so we ask to them and they accepted us kindly. I know them for only two weeks, but I believe that we are going to be a good group because I consider that they are very hard-working people and they are always available to help each other. In addition, I think that all of us are interested in this subject, so we will put a lot of effort to improve ourselves and to work as a group in order to make the most of this subject.

This is our quote. We like this sentence because it shows how we can teach our students passionately in order to encourage them to learn and improve themselves. Personaly,  I love it because it shows perfectly my point of view about teaching and the aim that I want to achieve in the future, as I said in my introduction. I strongly believe that if my students see that I enjoy teaching, they will be well disposed to learn.

The kind of teacher that I would like to be

Finally, I would like to answer to the question: What kind of teacher do you want to be?
It is a questions that many profesors have made us along our degree and I have thought a lot about it. There are some points that I have had clear since I began the degree, others have changed during these years and there are others that I still thinking about, but I consider that I have to be a teacher to come to the conclusion.

On the one hand, I know that I want to be a competent teacher with many resources and skills in order to teach my pupils with the best methodolgy for their learning and with a lot of materials to help them and to increase their interest in the subject and learning. Preparing dynamic and useful lessons for them.

On the other hand, I would like to be a guide for them, making them feel comfortable in class and paying them the attention that all of them need. In that way, they can feel safe and without fear to participate in class or to tell me about their problems.

To sum up, I want to be the perfect teacher for them in academic and personal issues.