WEEK 7 (REFLECTIONS)

LEARNER AUTONOMY

      Learner  autonomy is   greatly  influenced  if  not  fully ruled  by  intrinsic  motivation  and  personal   preference . As   a  language  professional,  I  have  learned  that   everybody   may  acquire  a certain  level  in  a  target  language. Everyone is  likely   to  learn  a  language  up  to  a  certain  extend;  however , only  the  ones   who  are  willing  to   go  the   extra  mile  will develop  a  respectable  level  of  command  of  such  a  language.  Many students do not see the   big picture when learning a language.  They  mostly  learn  a  language  to  comply  with  a  requirement  or  satisfy  an  immediate necessity.  Once they  think  they  have  done  so,  their  interest  will  drop  drastically/significantly.

       Intrinsic  motivation  is  of course  not  the  only determiner  of  success  for  a  language  learner.  Sometimes,  no matter how much  you  want  to  accomplish  something or  how hard  you  try,  you  may  not  succeed for  a  host of  other  reasons.  But  if  the  learners in your  classroom are   given  an  opportunity  to  “do”  language for  their  own  personal  reasons  of  achieving  competence  and  autonomy ,  those  learners  will  have  a better chance of  success than  if  they   become dependent on  external rewards for  their  motivation( Brown, 2001).

Sincerely,


Fernando Minda

WEEK 6 (REFLECTIONS)

POWERPOINT

     I  do  agree  with   the  fact  that  less is  more   when  making a  presentation.  More  often  than  not  people  make  the   mistake  of  overloading  the slides  with  thick text which makes the presentation  dull and dissatisfying.  PowerPoint is to be used as an aide-memoire; thus,  we  must  be very  selective  of  the  information  we  type in  and  the variety  of  features  to illustrate.   

CLASS SIZE

       Teaching   a  larger  class  often  takes more  preparation  and  energy  to  maintain students  engaged   in the lesson; however, teaching  a  one-student  class  can  also  demanding. I  have  been  a  tutor  for  most  of  my  teaching career and  I  have  worked  with people  who  have had  to take standardized  tests  or  simply  want to improve their command  of  the  target  language  because  their  reality  dictates  so.  Those classes can be challenging as well due to the necessity the students. What  I  mean  and  have  reflected on  is  the  fact that when there  is  planning  and  preparation  the  number  of  students  might  become an irrelevant  factor.  Of course, logistically speaking  there  may be some  limitations and challenges; nonetheless, educators  must  use different  techniques to  make sure  knowledge  reaches everybody  in  the  classroom (group work, peer assessment among  others). Technology often lends a rather helping hand in such situations as well.

  

Best  Regards!

Fernando Minda

REFLECTION (WEEK 5)

PERSONAL REFLECTION

             As a reflective practitioner, I know that alternative assessment (since it  uses  a  rather  wide  variety  of  approaches  rather  than  only  tests  or quizzes) may  be  more  effective  than  formal  assessment  because it  takes  off   most of  the stress that  assessment  itself  brings into  the   classroom.  More  often than  not  students  are  placed  under rather big  amounts  of  distress as they  take  a  test  or any  sort  of  quiz.  I  tend  to let  my  students  know  that  they  are   to  perform   to   the   fullest  at all  times  since  evaluation  is  permanent.  It is stressful at the beginning since they often do not know what to expect; however, they   fast get used to it.  I also make sure to provide permanent feedback.  I see mistakes and questions as opportunities to learn; thus, my students learn at all times, and feel self- confident to participate in class (thanks to positive feedback).  In  fact,  I  often have  one  or two students   to  summarize  the  main points of the  class as a  closure  activity.  A class  in which  students do not  learn  anything  new is  not  worth  attending  nor  teaching.

      It  is  worth  remembering  that  handing  back  any  piece  of  assessed homework  or   progress tests  presents  teachers  and  students  with ideal  learning  opportunities-  opportunities  which  will be  wasted if   the  work  is  immediately  put  away, rather  than  being  used  as  a  vehicle for  development (Harmer, 2007).  A good teacher never ceases to assess students, whether those assessments are incidental or intended (Brown, 2001). 

WEEK 5

TESTING AND ASSESSMENT

 ASSESSING, TESTING, AND TEACHING

 
    People  might  be   tempted  to  think  of  them  as  synonymous  terms,  but  they  are  not.  A  test  is  an instrument  or  procedure designed  to  elicit  performance  from learners  with  the  purpose of  measuring  their  attainment  of  specified criteria (formal assessment).  Tests can be useful devices among other procedures and tasks designed to assess students (Brown, 2001). Assessment encompasses a much wider domain than tests. Whenever as student responds to a question, offers a comment, or tries  out a  new  word or  structure,  the  teacher makes  assessment  of the student’ s performance (informal assessment),(Brown, 2001). 

      Teachers  and  other  education  professional  spend a  lot  of  time  testing,  evaluating  and assessing  students. Sometimes  it  is   to  measure  the  students’ abilities to  see  if  they  can  enter a  course  or  institution.  Sometimes it is to see how well they are getting on.  Sometimes it is because the students themselves want a qualification. Sometimes  this  assessment  is  formal  and  public , and  sometimes it is  informal  and  takes  place  in  day- to –day  lessons (Harmer, 2007).

     There is to differentiate between summative and formative assessment. Summative  assessment (formal assessment), as the  name suggests, is  the  kind of  measurement  that  takes place to  round  things  off  or  make a  one-off measurement. Such  tests  include  the  end-of-year tests  that  students  take or  the  big  public  exams  which  many  students  enter for . Formative  assessment (informal assessment), on the  other hand,  relates  to  the  kind of  feedback  teachers  give  students  as a course is  progressing  and  which,  as  a result  may  help  them  to improve their  performance (Harmer, 2007).

ASSESSMENT CONSTRUCTS

Informal                                    Formal

Formative                                 Summative

Process                                      Product

(Brown, 2001)

ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT OPTIONS

    In  recent   years  language  teachers  have  stepped up  efforts to  develop non-test  assessment  options  that  are  nevertheless  carefully designed and  that  adhere to  the criteria  for  adequate assessment.  Sometimes  such  innovations  are  referred  to  as  alternative  assessment, if  only  to  distinguish them from traditional  formal  tests. Among which self- and peer-assessments, journals, conferences, portfolios, and cooperative test construction can be found.  

1.       Self- and peer-assessments

a.       Oral production

b.      Listening comprehension

c.       Writing

d.      Reading

2.       Journals

3.       Conferences

4.       Portfolios

5.       Cooperative test construction (Brown, 2001)    

Best regards, 

Fernando Minda  



REFLECTION (WEEK 4)

PERSONAL REFLECTION

     A teacher is to be a reflective practitioner at all times.  Good  teachers  are always  concerned  about  improving   not  only  their  knowledge  about  the  subject  they  teach, but also   the  development  of their skills  to  pass such  knowledge  onto  others  as well  as  a better   grasp of  their  students knowledge. Teaching  does  not  come  to  an  end  when  a  class  is  over.  Teaching is  an  everlasting- always on-going responsibility; therefore,  being  a  teacher is  only suitable  for  those willing  to  learn and  open to  observation and suggestion. Reflection is being open-minded   enough to put others first.  Reflection is not about the teacher but about students, their needs, desires, and expectations inside and outside the classroom. Reflection requires resources that are  to  serve  a  purpose  based on what  can be  done better so that  what  is  done,  in the  classroom,  is  constantly  improved  and  developed  to   get  the  best  of  results as  the learning and  teaching process takes place. Reflection is the driving force that keeps teachers doing their job more efficiently and not conforming to what the system dictates. In  other  words  reflection  is  what  makes  teachers  take  action rather than  limit themselves  to only  criticize  a  particular  situation regarding  learning.  

REFLECTIVE WRITING

REFLECTIVE TEACHING PRACTICE