Final entry about CIS Summer Course

Finally it's over!!!

It's not that I've got no results. A lot of lesson plans and materials is worthy enough but ... summer time, the beach, time for family and rest, ... I'm sorry Jessica but Lisbon and Cádiz Beaches have no rival.

A group photo will be a nice memory and I hope to get into contact with everybody for help, for talk, ...

Bye and I hope we can take advantage of all what we'v learnt.

We've presented our Writing Lesson Plan - Group work

After watching some of our group work lesson plans for Writing Activities, people who have chosen ones for 1st and 2nd graders have prepare more visual work than the ones who have decided it was for 3rd graders,....

Analysing and defending ideas in our writing is also better with older students because they have background ideas to defend their points of view.

It would be great to share correction symbols in the department, more simple for younger students, of course.

The US subdivision into three sessions may be taken into account:
Session 1                     Session 2                      Session 3
outline the draft             1st draft                          final version

Peer correction with some questions to guide them can be prepared for the first draft.

I'll check for Bob Wilson's Grammar Aquarium (in the WEB?)

Well, The photocopies with some paragraph writing with samples may be useful for my Bachillerato group if I practice with them a couple of times within the classroom. It will be a good guide for the ones who really want to learn.

Shakespeare's Julius Caesar - FINISHED AT LAST!

We've included our graphic organiser, a rubric (ernie's one is marvellous and complete) and we have made it more visual, adding a couple images and a link to bbc.co.uk (I copied it in my journal yesterday).

The whole group is marvellous: Ernie, Helena Masso, Elena Mazariegos, Cristina and Luisa. Everyone has given their best, so I want to thank you all and I want to say it has been a pleasure.

Thanks especially to Elena because of her IT knowledge and Cristina for being so good typing for us.

A New Group, NEW GREAT IDEAS!!!

New group work, new group, new ideas!

It’s incredible how an idea to begin with can change after a short debate!

Mine began with a previous reading text including some remarkable moment in British

or American History to end gossiping about kings’, queens’ or politicians’ marriages,

divorces, who was beheaded or sent to jail, … “The Monarchy HELLO!!!”.

Now it ends analysing and defending different ideas, using Shakespeare’s JULIUS

CAESAR. It sounds great for us. I hope you’ll think so, too. And, of course, more work tomorrow.

Comparing writing style in English and Spanish

We wrote two short texts about a place we’d visited, one in English (Istambul) and another one in


Spanish (Cuba). Most people said that there were differences: In Spanish we “vomit” ideas

and structures, use more complex vocabulary, use more idioms and different links and

connects; we are even more poetic. In English we tend to use shorter sentences and

paragraphs, simpler vocabulary, less idioms, to be more descriptive and use different

links and connector.



It was curious but neither Helena Massó nor I said that after reading our texts: only shorter

paragraphs and sentences. Our writing styles are different, but we writer more or less

the same in both languages. (I’ll keep mine in my portfolio to revise them! And our

photocopies, too).


What I’m worried about is RUBRICS. I always forget to write them or they are not

good ones. I MUST IMPROVE!


To end up with it today, HOW COULD YOU, COLLEAGUES, HAVE SO MUCH

TIME AS TO PREPARE SO WONDERFUL ACTIVITIES!!! Let me know.

ICT - ILT - PDA - FYI - What a MESS!!!

What a mess to understand all acronyms, but they are curious about them. I remember the end of three sessions where I asked the students to understand and write short mobile phone messages. These PDA (Public Display of Affection) or FYI (for your information), TMI (too much information) seem funny, too.

But the real topic is methodology and skills – How do to it? - and using the WEB, learning to do it specifically (for example: Shakespeare + “Romeo and Juliet” + first edition ...) to reduce down the number of possibilities.

I have to revise my PPT presentations. They have been useful now to show information, to deal with cultural and historical aspects, for the students to describe photos but ...Hot Potatoes activities ("Australia" was the example) can be added – for kids better. JClic is similar, but I must check my informatic course to revise how to do it.

It is too much work, but better if you prepare the Presentation first, as I have mentioned above. Activities and assessment may be added according to our free time and our necessities and they may be varied according to our experiences using them. But SAVE YOUR WORK.

Our traditional evaluation systems: IMPROVEMENTS

We have commented on our traditional evaluation systems. We have accepted the ideas for ours and they are in our lesson plan by now. We have added the grading system, completed the multiple choice test (first to be done or for low-level students) and made simpler and with specific instructions the vocabulary activity (second to be done or for higher-level students).

Why were not perfect? Apart than having not enough time, we should mixed different types of questions (Yes/No questions - answer in your own words - multiple choice, answer briefly, ...), enough time, and specific and clear instructions, apart from marking system.

KEEP IN MIND:

- What are you testing (Vocabulary, comprehension, concepts, ...)?
- How long is the quiz / test?
- What is the point distribution? How will you grade?
- Very clear specific instructions are necessary.
- Versions for different levels.
- Identifying or producing?
- Quiz, test, lesson, reading comprehension. Specify, please.

TYPES OF QUESTIONS:

- True / False - Identify or identify and correct or add an evidence.
- Fill in the blanks (with or without wordbank)
- Multiple choice (open or closed)
- Finish sentencs
- Answer in short (2/3 sentences,...)
- Specify points (total and for each question)
* Possible Extra Credit (personal opinion, ...)

They can create their own tests and quizzes. They will be responsible for their own word. Of course, questions and answers must be checked by the teacher.