Happy Boxing Day!!!

Hello everyone!

After a while, we are back!

We would like to share with you this link where you can find a lot of different teaching resources for Christmas.

Along the course there are many seasonal topics that we can take advantage of. We can work with them in order to promote learning through real facts.

In this web you can find Christmas carols, recipes, stories, activities and a long list of resources to work with.

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/teacher/christmas.html#online

I particularly like the history about Boxing Day origins, and I think that it is a good story to tell and make children know that Christmas is not only about present, and not only children, we should also reflect about it.

Stop shopping and spend some time with the family :-) 

Assessment

Task Based Learning Approach

This week we have been working on designing activities from different approaches. We have found some information about TBL which is really useful to become a bit more familiar with it.

Task based learning is a different way to teach languages. It offers to the students an opportunity to use the target language as they would do in everyday life using their own one. The task is an activity in which students use the language to achieve a specific outcome. 

The activity reflects real life and learners focus on meaning; they are free to use any language they want. Playing a game, solving a problem or sharing information or experiences.

To plan a TBL lesson we should follow these stages.

-        Pre-task: The teacher introduces the topic and gives clear instructions for the task.

-        Task: Students complete a task in pairs or groups using the language resources that they have.

-        Planning: Students prepare a short report to tell the class what happened during their task.

-         Report: Students then report back to the class orally or read the written report.

-    Analysis: The teacher then highlights relevant parts from the text of the recording for the students to analyse.

-       Practice: Finally, the teacher selects language areas to practise based upon the needs of the students and what emerged from the task and report phases. 

 TBL has some clear advantages:

-        The students are free of language control; they must use all their language resources.

-        A natural context is developed from the students' experiences with the language that is personalised and relevant to them.

-        The language explored arises from the students' needs.

-        It is a strong communicative approach where students spend a lot of time communicating.

-        It is enjoyable and motivating.

Here you can find some useful TBL activities:

http://saradavila.com/front/category/tbl-activities/

Our rubric

We would like to share with you the rubric we have create for assessing an listening activity.

Here you can see the activity and the rubric:

•                 Activities before Listening

Teacher asksquestions like:  What date is today? What season is it? Can you look throw the window? etc.

(Responding yes or no)

Teacher shows a flashcard with a picture of the dessert of Sahara Where is sunny, and she asks students what s the weather like in Sahara?

Teacher shows other picture of Sweden too and ask them: What time is it? (Activate their knowledge in a context and situation, use of the vocabulary)

Teacher shows a map of Spain and asks: Where it rains more? Where is more cold? Do you know where it is hotter?

The objective of showing the map is to make the students understand the geographic points (North, South, East, and West).

Now you are going to listen to a weather forecast from United Kingdom (Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales). Listen carefully and draw one of these pictures.

•  Activities while listening

We give them the map and they look at it and they have to listen the tape one time.

Teacher makes a second listening and she stops the tape giving students the chance to draw the weather.

There is a third listening where children should check their answers.

Taking into account the diversity we will propose several activities depending on the level of comprehension of each student.

For students who have lower capacity we should propose the same activity but only the difference is that instead of proposing the students to draw we give them two weather options and they have to choose the correct answer (We think it is an easier level and we will help them to reach the reacquired level)

For Students who have higher level capacity we propose the same activity but instead of they having the model of the weather in the right hand side they will not have it and they have to draw it themselves.

•  Activities after listening

To correct the activity, students, in pairs will exchange their worksheet. The teacher will show the map with the solutions and children will have to mark only the pictures that their partners got right and then count it and write it down.

One of the follow up activities, we have design, is a true or false activity, about the map they have been working with, once they finish, they will check their answers all together with the teacher.

- For the other activity, teacher gives student a worksheet where there is a map and they will have to describe the weather in it.

In the worksheet there will be an example and some key vocabulary to makes the sentences.

- For student who have a lower capacity, in their worksheet there will be the same exercise but they will have two columns one with the beginning and the other with endings of the sentences so they will have to join them to make true sentences.

- For student who have a higher level they will have to describe the weather without any key words to help them.

To evaluate this activity we will take into account children attitude (1 point), participation (1 point) and the activities themselves (1 point each one), so they can get the following marks: 5= Excellent,  4= Very Good, 3= Good, less than 3= you need to work harder.

Listening: Weather Forecast	Insuficiente   (0-4)	Suficiente (5-6)	Notable (7-8)	Sobresalien-  te (9-10)
Grado de implicación, aportación de ideas y motivación del alumno al realizar la tarea	No es capaz de mantener la atención durante la realización de la actividad. No participa ni aporta ideas.	Aunque se implica en la actividad no lo hace durante todo el periodo de duración de esta. Aporta ideas sin especificarlas, falta de seguridad al hacerlo.	Se implica satisfactoriamente, mostrando sus puntos de vista e ideas fundamentadas. Aunque las estructuras empleadas deben mejorar.	Participa en el pre-listening, completa todas las preguntas de las actividades. Está motivado y se expresa con propiedad y seguridad.
Grado de participación e interacción en la lengua extranjera con los compañe- ros	No es capaz de trabajar en grupo, se aburre y no comprueba las preguntas con los compañeros.	Trabaja en grupo, hablando mayormente en español y no realiza la mayoría de las preguntas.	Trabaja en grupo, utilizando frases claves y comprobando la mayoría de las preguntas con el compañero.	Realiza el trabajo en grupo hablando en inglés y comprobando las preguntas con el compañero.
Conocimiento adquirido: vocabulario y gramática interiorizada	Ni toma apuntes ni interioriza vocabulario y gramática .No sabe desarrollar la actividad.	Necesita mirar los apuntes para realizar la actividad, aunque la realiza correctamente	Adquirido vocabulario clave para realizar la actividad y buena comprensión. Utiliza algunas expresiones.	Adquiere el vocabulario dado en clase y sabe usar las expresiones dadas en clase correctamente
Técnicas, estrategias utilizadas al realizar la actividad y procesos cognitivos llevados a cabo	Las estrategias empleadas muy limitadas o nulas. No se llegan a desarrollar los procesos cognitivos            correspondientes a la actividad.	Aplica escasas técnicas y procesos cognitivos.	Es capaz de desarrollar los procesos cognitivos correspondientes pero debe profundizar en algunas de las técnicas.	Recuerdan ,comprenden, y aplican el conocimiento adquirido
Capacidad general de comprensión del listening por parte del alumno	No comprende la idea principal del listening, vocabulario escaso.	Extrae parte de la información relevante, no comprende algunas ideas.	Buena capacidad de comprensión, puede extraer la idea principal y comprende las estructuras y vocabulario utilizados.	Entiende el 90% o más , está atento y esto lo demuestra al desarrollar las actividades
Competen-cias del listening desarrolladas al realizar la actividad	No tienen un vocabulario de base para entender las palabras y frases principales respecto a la actividad. No entienden lo básico	Recuerdan pocas palabras y algunas frases familiares en general. Entienden cosas concretas si se les habla lento y claramente.	Entienden algunas frases y vocabulario pero sólo del tiempo .No recuerdan todas las expresiones no relacionadas con la actividad	Pueden entender frases y vocabulario relacionado con áreas de relevancia personal. Puede entender los puntos principales en cortos y simples mensajes

Assessment of, for and as learning

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING

The purpose of this kind of assessment is usually SUMMATIVE and is mostly done at the end of a task, unit of work etc.
Assessment of Learning is the assessment that becomes public and results in statements or symbols about how well students are learning. It often contributes to pivotal decisions that will affect students’ futures. It is important, then, that the underlying logic and measurement of assessment of learning be credible and defensible.”

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING

The emphasis shifts from summative to FORMATIVE assessment in Assessment for Learning.
Assessment for Learning happens during the learning, often more than once, rather than at the end.
Students understand exactly what they are to learn, what is expected of them and are given feedback and advice on how to improve their work.
“In Assessment for Learning, teachers use assessment as an investigable tool to find out as much as they can about what their students know and can do, and what confusions, preconceptions, or gaps they might have.
The wide variety of information that teachers collect about students’ learning processes provides the basis for determining what they need to do next to move student learning forward. It provides the basis for providing descriptive feedback for students and deciding on groupings, instructional strategies, and resources.”

ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING

Through this process students are able to learn about themselves as learners and become aware of how they learn, become megacognitive (knowledge of one’s own thought processes).
Students reflect on their work on a regular basis, usually through self and peer assessment and decide (often with the help of the teacher, particularly in the early stages) what their next learning will be.
Assessment as learning helps students to take more responsibility for their own learning and monitoring future directions.

http://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDoQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fteacherrefresher.wikispaces.com%2Ffile%2Fview%2FAssessment_of_for_as_Learning.pdf&ei=FfuhUPayGc3N0AWruoDYDw&usg=AFQjCNGyoHC-E-yv6E-EMsbE3jA2mq4jYQ&sig2=APxWYTdKDjK6A8D15vf4XQ