miércoles, 28 de octubre de 2009

Pensamiento Crítico


Personal Comments on “Reflective thought”
Eric Digest D143

What I specially liked about this article was the explanation about questioning. It states on the second page that reflection in a classroom can take place only when a question strategy promotes it. However, using questioning in a classroom requires problem based instruction.
The author suggests us some generic models of problem setting, and among them, he mentions role-playing.
It is an activity that my students and I like to practice thus; apart from being motivating, students can also integrate skills.
Another model of problem that caught my attention was examining the social context of a given statement because I sustain that it is very important to know aspects of the target culture to make a better understanding of a foreign language, nevertheless I have never asked my students to examine the social context. I just told them about it, so I have learned now not only a new form of questioning a problem but a new way to avoid teacher-centered activity.
Evaluation is another aspect of the article which strengthens our management in planning lessons. The author suggests assessments during the lesson ¨we suggest that you devise an exercise that requires students to practice critical thinking and simultaneously demonstrate their progress in achieving that complex skill¨.
I found in this specific reading some ways to guide students to¨ figure things out¨ for themselves and to reason well.
Conversely, I do not know exactly what role-reversal means. I will look later for the procedure of this technique. Would any of my friends who are reading this like to help me, please?
Thanks,
Ana.

Para enseñar preposiciones

This is not exactly a new idea, but I would like to share it with you.

To teach prepositions in English as a second language is one of the most difficult topics for our career. Last year I attended to a video-lecture about teaching prepositions leaded by Suzanne Matula that really impressed us.
As a good critical thinker, she explained to us that traditional textbook presentations of prepositions present rules that can not always account for every day usage. Activities related to drawing, illustrating the sense of attachment to different surfaces and physical responses may help to clarify prototypical meaning. Physical responses seem to be one of the best techniques to teach prepositions.
I would like to propose a game:
-the teacher hides some objects around before the students enter the classroom. When the moment of the exercises comes, they have to find them and make sentences using the accurate preposition under the lead of the teacher according to space relations. (Procedure also applies for adults).
These activities are important because-although familiar to us- help the comprehension and products of meanings, as well as the semantic extension in other stages of the domain area.
You can find more information at English Teaching Forum- volume 44- number 2
¨Teaching Prepositions to Young Learners: The Case of On¨. Ana Piquer.

martes, 27 de octubre de 2009

Presentación

Este blog tiene como objetivo compartir información sobre la enseñanza de idioma inglés a personas de habla hispana.

Aparecerán publicados trabajos relacionados con el tema que puedan ser objeto de discusión entre profesores de inglés, pero cualquier persona que desee iniciar el estudio del idioma inglés puede escribir para emitir sus criterios o pedir información.

!Bienvenidos!

Ana Aguililla Saladrigas