LESSON 5: KRASHEN & SWAIN HYPOTHESIS

The output hypothesis states that language learners will pay attention to phrases when they can attach meaning to them. The act of speaking or writing under certain conditions makes up the process of second language learning. Speaking the language is different than understanding the language.

Swain questioned Krashen’s writings on the input hypotheses that stated that there was only one necessary and sufficient way for second language acquisition which was by comprehending input. Through Swains observations in immersion classrooms, the output hypothesis was formulated in 1985. She stated that when there was a gap in learning the linguistic knowledge the learner becomes aware of it and is able to modify his output so that he learns something new about the language. Furthermore, she claims that under certain conditions output facilitates second language learning in ways that are different from other mental processes connected with producing the language.

ASSIGNMENT 3: "AULAS FELICES"

AULAS FELICES

Choose 3 activities that you would use in your classroom. The aim is to apply the principles of Positive Psychology in the classroom. 

Positive psychology is a science of positive aspects of human life, such as happiness, well-being and flourishing. It can be summarised in: ‘scientific study of optimal human functioning that aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive’. Martin Seligman

Saboreando una galleta

Nivel: Educación Infantil/ 1º y 2º de Primaria.

Objetivos: Aumentar la concentración. Disfrutar de lo cotidiano. Percibir los pequeños detalles.

Desarrollo: Invitamos a los niños a saborear conjuntamente una galleta, repartiéndoles una a cada uno. Buscamos un momento y un espacio adecuados: la asamblea, creando un ambiente tranquilo, de sosiego, de disfrute y sin prisas. Repartimos una galleta a cada uno, insistiendo en que vamos a esperar a que todos tengan una. Trabajamos los sentidos y los verbos en inglés de los sentidos: 

• La vista (look): observamos su forma, tamaño, color, dibujos,...
  
• El tacto (touch): rugosa, lisa, suave, áspera,...
  
• El olfato (smell): qué nos evoca, qué nos sugiere,...
  
• El gusto (taste): comemos poco a poco, saboreando lentamente cada bocado; percibimos si es dulce, salado, crujiente, blando,..
  
  
  Una vez comida la galleta, expresamos lo que hemos sentido y lo que hemos descubierto, con el mismo clima de sosiego y respeto. Los niños descubren las sensaciones que les produce el alimento y de las que hasta ahora no habían sido conscientes. 
  
  
  Recursos: ambiente de calma, y alumnos sentados en el suelo en círculo. Una galleta para cada uno.
  Tiempo: 10 ó 15 minutos.
  Observaciones. Podemos escoger cualquier otro alimento sencillo: una mandarina, un fruto seco,... 
  
  
  
  Respirando al comienzo de la clase
  

  

  
  

  Nivel: Educación Primaria y Secundaria.

  Objetivos: Crear un clima de trabajo en el aula y favorecer la concentración del alumnado.

  
  
  

  
  

  Desarrollo: Previamente a la realización de este ejercicio, es necesario haber explicado a los alumnos cómo practicar la meditación basada en la respiración (podemos aprovechar para ello el comienzo de alguna de nuestras clases con ellos, o bien el horario de tutoría). Una vez que ya están iniciados en la técnica, se puede utilizar cualquiera de los ejercicios ya explicados en este capítulo: simplemente respirar, observando la respiración diafragmática; respirar concentrándonos en las sensaciones de frío y calor en la nariz; respiración contando un número en cada inspiración; y respiración combinando frases o palabras clave.

  
  
  

  
  

  Tiempo: Entre 2 y 5 minutos pueden ser suficientes, cuando los alumnos ya conocen estas técnicas.

  
  

  Observaciones: Este ejercicio resulta muy útil al comienzo de la mañana, o bien tras un cambio de clase y comienzo de otra. 
  
  
  
  
  Crea y utiliza un “kaiku” para vivir más despierto
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  Nivel: 5º y 6º de Educación 

  
  
  

  Primaria y Educación Secundaria.

  Objetivos: Desarrollar la escritura creativa. Aumentar la actividad consciente en la vida cotidiana.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Desarrollo: Seguiremos las indicaciones dadas en el ejercicio ya explicado: Versos para no olvidarse de vivir. Podemos partir del área de Lengua castellana o Inglesa y su literatura para estudiar las diversas formas poéticas y presentar los haikus como una forma clásica de poesía japonesa. Buscamos información sobre este tipo de poemas en libros o en Internet: cuál es su origen, qué estructura tienen, ejemplos, etc. A continuación, proponemos a cada alumno que redacte un haiku que haga referencia a “cómo vivir en el presente de modo más consciente y con más plenitud”. Un ejemplo podría ser este:

  
  Me comprometo 
  a vivir el presente 
  conscientemente.
  
  
  
  

  Cuando todos los alumnos tengan sus versos escritos, pueden memorizarlos y utilizarlos durante varios días en clase, al comienzo de la mañana, para recitarlos internamente y después realizar un par de respiraciones profundas, como un pequeño ritual a realizar antes de comenzar nuestra clase con ellos.

  Recursos: Fuentes de donde obtener información sobre el haiku: libros de texto del área, biblioteca, Internet,...

  Tiempo: Dependerá del nivel de profundización que queramos aplicar al estudio de los haikus. Posteriormente, para recitar interiormente los versos y respirar, pueden bastar un par de minutos al comienzo de la clase. 

LESSON 4: CINDERELLA STORY

CINDERELLA: TRAINERELLA

In groups, we read the story aloud and each time appeared a character, we shouted a phrase about this character. For example, with the PRINCE, we said: HOW HANDSOME YOU ARE!

Metaphor: trainerella has to train hard in order to achieve her dream, which is to have a perfect classroom. There are methods, performed by characters such as Grammatranslation (Grammar Translation), Behaviourel (Behaviourism)... which are helpful but not definitive. 

The best solution is to find our best COMBINATION OF METHODS: OWN METHOD

Game: our world. We were divided in groups, according to our living places in CV. But, suddenly, we received a WhatsApp warming us that a meteor is about to crash the CV.  We left the classroom shouting and full of fear.  

After all the panic, in order to relax from the shock, our trainer provided us with a "COOL DOWN" session. It consisted in a BREATHING TECHNIQUE (The Zen technique)

Mental imagery, or the picture in your mind's eye, can help you regroup and relax. Picture an idyllic and peaceful scene, such as a meadow or a beach, and use all of your senses. Do you smell jasmine in the air? Can you hear the birds singing and feel the light breeze on your skin? Your body can’t tell the difference between a thought and a real event, so bring your peaceful scene to mind the next time you’re feeling anxious. This "mini vacation" will help you feel refreshed, as if you’d really visited to a tropical paradise.

LESSON 3: TEACHING STRATEGIES

THINGS WE CAN DO TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WITH TEACHING

• SCAFFOLDING

Variety of instructional techniques used to move students progressively toward stronger understanding and greater independence in the learning process. The term itself offers the relevant descriptive metaphor: teachers provide successive levels of temporary support that help students reach higher levels of comprehension and skill acquisition that they would not be able to achieve without assistance.

Scaffolding is widely considered to be an essential element of effective teaching, and all teachers certainly use various forms of instructional scaffolding in their teaching.  

•      Show and tell
•      Tap into prior knowledge
•      Give time to talk
•      Pre-teach vocabulary
•      Use visual aids
•      Pause, ask questions, pause, review

• TEACHING STRATEGIES

Various instructional activities we will use to engage students with the material and enable them to meet the objectives. 

• Active learning
• Cooperative learning
• Critican thinking
• Discussion strategies
• Games, simulations
• Humor
• Guided learning
• Learning communities
• Mobile learning
• Problem-based learning

• VYGOTSGY: ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT

It is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help.

Vygotsky stated that a child follows an adult's example and gradually develops the ability to do certain tasks without help.Vygotsky and some other educators believe that the role of education is to give children experiences that are within their zones of proximal development, thereby encouraging and advancing their individual learning.

• HOW TO IMPROVE OUR PRESENTATIONS?

- TALK ALOUD, CHANGE INTONATION

- DO PAUSES

- PUSTURE: MOVE AROUND

- MAKE RETHORIC QUESTIONS

- USE BODY LANGUAGE

LESSONS 2 & 3: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT II

Things you have to do when enter in a classroom

-    1. DIAGNOSIS: to identify learners’ strengths and weaknesses.

      Tools: observation, diagnosis tests or reading the reports of the previous years.

     When we enter in the classroom, we have to be very good observer
        2. TREATMENT
        3. ASSESSMENT

-      Game: mirror

                  
    By means of this game, we could see how observer we were. It consists in repeating the movements that our partner is doing, as if we were a mirror. 

   One partner was observing us, trying to identify the person and the mirror. Sometimes, people did this very good, so the person who observed had to be very concentrated to find it. 

    

-      Aims: To develop concentration & observation skills, empathy, to work on non-verbal communication, to anticipate another’s thinking and action

    - After that, to see again how good we were observing, we watched a video about an INVISIBLE GORILLA. 

    - We were asked to be count the times that a ball was passed among children. I was so concentreated in this that I could not see the Gorilla. 

    - Reflection: I have to improve my skills observing. 

Classroom management II:

In this part of the lesson, roles changed. We stopped being learners and we became teachers. We received papers in which some tips about classroom management were described. Our task was to explain these tips to the classroom as if we were teachers. 
After that, we made them questions, and they received an invisible ticket if they were correct. 
                                

GAME: we made two groups. Papers about classroom management were spread in the table. One trainee (Luis) guided the game. He decided who had to explain the content of the paper and we were changing roles. 
When we finished the game, we should write statements on a paper about classroom management (True or False). With these statements, we tested some volunteers. 

    

 And this is all, and nothing more! As you can see, we can learn lots of things about teacher training in a different and amusing way!

LESSONS 2 & 3: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT (TASK 1)

LOOKING BACK

Task 1: On your own, think back to your school days & identify one of your best classes. Now write down a few notes in answer to the following questions:

   1.     How was the classroom arranged?
   We were seated in pairs, making 4 or 5 lines. The teacher was in front of us, with the blackboard behind.

   2.     How was the class managed? 

     The teacher explained the subject but at the same time, he was constantly asking us questions, our opinion, and giving us opportunities to predict the topics. He caught our attention because he was moving around the classroom, making eye contact with each one of us.

   3.     What were three things you liked about the classroom? 

-      The teacher was constantly asking questions and promoting our participation.

-       The teacher was very funny, made us laugh during the lessons.

-       He created a free atmosphere, where we could say what we think without being embarrassed of mistaking.

   4.     What were the main problems in that classroom? 

-       You needed to be totally concentrated in order to answer his question

    

   5.     How were they handled by the teacher? 

The problems of concentration were handled by the teacher doing some question to us and "throwing" someone a chalk.

    6.    How did you feel as a learner in that classroom?

-    I felt important; the teacher always listened to me and gave importance to my contributions in class.

7.    Describe some of the learning activities in that classroom

To fill in a mind map in the blackboard.

Brainstorming

8. What were the rules & procedures in the classroom?

He explained the lesson and we asked questions.

9. Why was that classroom so different from others?

Because this teacher was very funny and creative when he talked and made the topic interesting for us, or at least, for me. 

10. Was there any misbehaviour in your classroom? If so, describe it

Yes, there was a boy who disrespected teachers. He did not mind shouting or saying swear words.

ASSIGNMENT 1: LEARNING CONTRACT

What is a learning contract?

Classroom management is part of a teacher’s daily work activity.  Sometimes the focus is on managing the entire class, at other times the focus is on only one student. 

An effective technique which increases the probability of a positive outcome for the student is to negotiate a learning contract with that student.  

A learning contract is an agreement established between a student and the teacher.
It specifies concrete learning and/or behavioural objectives for the student that all parties agree need to be achieved. 

MY LEARNING CONTRACT

Name: Patricia de Nalda Rivera

·      These are my goals:

ü  According to attendance, I will attend at least 80 per cent of class sessions. If I miss some classes, I will have a reasonable justification.

ü  According to participation in the classroom, although I’m very shy and I get very nervous when I talk in public, I will do the effort in order to participate at least once a day.

ü  According to the group work, I will do everything possible to have a good relation with my classmates and I will take part as an active member of the group.

ü  According to coexistence, I will be respectful to my classmates and the teacher

ü  According to individual work, I will complete the assignments taking into account what we have been learning during the lessons and trying to relate this information with other readings.

These are my consequences if I don’t meet my goals:

o   I will lose the opportunity to learn more about the subject (teaching strategies, innovative resources, etc.) and then, the opportunity to apply the new knowledge in my future.

o   I won’t get good marks.

o   As much the teacher as me won’t feel proud of my work.

These are the rewards if I meet my goals:

·      I will learn more and gain more experience in teaching. So, in the future, I will have more strategies and resources to use in a classroom.

·      I will get good marks.