Final Reflection

   As we had notice in this blog the use of the TICS in nowadays education are really useful as it involves another way of focusing the lesson, more close to students who loves everything related to new technologies. If I had to choose between the TICS which we have worked with I would choose those related to improve oral skills, which are for example recording their voice, create a video where students have a dialog or involved them in a quiz where they have to use oral communication. I would choose them as it is the skill that needs more practice and a good way to improve it is thought its use.

   In conclusion, I would say that using new technologies in class is very useful for English as a Second Language as it is much more fun working with something new than with something used over and over again. New technologies can also help to improve listening, writing, reading and oral skills because they provide students with practice of all kind. We have to remember that all of our students don’t share the same necessities, some prefer learning reading, other using writing, others with visual supports and we as teachers must be ready to adapt their necessities. It is important to remember that a language can best be taught by using it actively in the classroom encouraging students not to feel embarrassed if they say something wrong. We must remember that making mistakes in an important part of the learning process.

Goanimate

This goanimate represents the beginning of the story Lamb to the Slaughter. My aim here is that students create their own goanimate, choosing their scenery, the characters, dialog to represent part of the story they have worked on previously in class. It is a fun way to work with texts. I would use this activity as a post-treatment activity although it could also be used as a treatment activity in which students create their own ending to the story.

http://goanimate.com/videos/04rlID9iZRTM/1

 

Working with songs

At the beginning of the folktale, Coyote hears the Humans "singing a sad song about their lost loved ones".

"Feel how the sun is now warm on our backs," one of the men was saying. "Feel how it warms the earth and makes these stones hot to the touch. If only we could have had a small piece of the sun in our teepees during the winter."

 What do you think this song sounded like? What stories and feelings do you think the Humans sang about? In groups create a song that the Humans would sing at the end of the folktale. Maybe you will even want to perform this song for your classmates!

Create your own video

Another useful activity in which students can practice their oral skills involves creating a video about a story. I would provide them with an example of the story Lamb to the Slaughter  which the students will later interpret. I consider this a good way to get  students  talking and participating in class, even those who normally worry about making mistakes. Maybe working in groups, with friends or out of the classroom helps students feel more comfortable.  I would use this as a post-treatment activity.

Record your voice

    In this activity I recorded my voice telling students all about the symbolic meaning of coyotes in American History. Coyotes are the main characters of the story How Coyote stole fire and I though it would be interesting for the students to know why the author chose this animal and what the connotations are. It is not only important that the students know the plot of the story but also that they are aware of the context in which the story was written. I would use it as a pre-treatment activity to familiarize the students with the context of the story and  also to acquire a better understanding of the plot.

http://vocaroo.com/i/s0QIP1cK6pxA

http://vocaroo.com/i/s0rf80Npqf9h

Cinderella

           

Cinderella

by Roald Dahl

       Here we will work with pictures. The pictures are related to the short story Cinderella and students have to use these to create an imaginary end to the story. I think it is a good way for students to use their imagination and creativity by inventing a new ending while practicing their writing skills at the same time.

Create a comic

      

              This webquest was created as a post-treatment activity and consists of the students creating their own comic about the scene which they like the most. It has different sections in which the introduction, task, process, evaluation and conclusion are explained to the students. This activity can be applied to all the texts worked in class.

Introduction

Have you ever read a comic? How many comic characters do you know? In this Webquest different comic characters invite you to enter into the comic world and become a comic expert… are you ready to enter? If you are still unsure, don’t hesitate and come in! It's the only way to discover what they have to offer. Task Organization You have to work in groups; do you know what this means? Of course… you should work hard, be responsible and cooperate by helping one another to discover and learn many things. The groups will be made up of 4 people.  Task When the groups are organised, you have to research the comic world (main characters, styles, language…) to become experts, in order to be able to create your own comic. Process <>   Each member of the group has to choose a function: - Comic book artist (the comic book artist has to look for the main characteristics of these characters and discover how to draw their physical features) - Photographer (the photographer is responsible for discovering  which are the best settings for the photographs and different techniques which could be used) - Scriptwriter (the scriptwriter has to find out which language  is used in comics) - Psychologist(the psychologist has to investigate different types of characters , if they are brave, clever etc…) The following websites will provide you the necessary information for the realization of the comic. http://www.sugarbombs.com/comics/cpart1.html http://www.bitstrips.com/create/avatar/ http://designcomics.org/ http://www.coverbrowser.com/timeline http://www.co2comics.com/blog/2011/03/28/the-language-of-comics/ http://www.learnquebec.ca/en/content/professional_development/media_literacy/literacy-today-classroom/language-comic-and-graphic-novels.html http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1056/elements.pdf Now, you are ready to start with you research. An interesting task is awaiting you!      Vídeo de YouTube Now that the research has been completed it is the time to put all the information together and share what you have learned about the comic world. This way all the members of the group will have the information needed to start with the creation of the comic. If sharing is successful you will realize the importance of teamwork through helping each other. Evaluation For your evaluation, I am going to take into account the following criteria:  Web Comprehension(Did you understand how to use  the page? Did you find it too difficult to choose the useful info?) Writing Skills (Is the language in your task correct and well organized?) Presentation (Does your comic look nice and well presented?) Group Work (Did you work in peace and comfort with your group? Did you collaborate as much as possible with them?) Here is a table that will show you how you will be graded: Conclusions By completing this Webquest, not only will you have learnt to deal with comic world, but also you will have learnt to use the web pagesand collaborate with your mates. The purpose of this Webquest was to enable you to create an original comic but also to revise the vocabulary of the characters and their physical and psychological features... Good work! Your comic was a great success!

Summary

           This is a good time for the students to write about their thoughts on the texts. I wrote about Mrs Bixby and the Coronel’s coat.

             
          To be honest, I had never heard the story of Mrs. Bixby and the Coronel’s coat but I had heard of its author Roald Dahl. I am familiar with his style of writing; his dark humor and the existence of sarcastic and cruel situations that give argument to his stories. This story particularly surprised me because when I started to read I never would have guessed the ending. I thought that Mr Bixby would discover that his wife had been cheating on him with the Coronel, but in fact Mr. Bixby also had a lover.

            I think Mrs Bixby is a greedy woman, because she is not happy with just one man, she also needs a lover. She is materialistic as she is not worried about why the Colonel has broken up with her, instead she just thinks about the lie that she is going to tell her husband in order to keep the mink. On the other hand, her husband is not far behind, as he also lies to his wife and gives his lover the mink.

           The moral of the story is, as the saying goes “you will get a taste of your own medicine" as Mrs Bixby finds out.


            I think that students need some time when they can write what they want, share information with their peers and discuss the stories. This is a good way to evaluate students individually.

Picture

This is a “personal” picture which represents the part of the story Mrs Bixby and the Coronel’s Coat that I liked the most. Now, students have to do the same. Individually choosing a special picture is a good way for students to express their personal opinions. After deciding on their pictures, they should explain why they have chosen it.

 

             The scene I liked the most is when Mrs Bixby opens the box and doesn’t find what she expected. Her husband had changed, very skillfully, the mink coat for a little fur neckpiece. I suppose that this moment is very frustrating for Mrs Bixby because although she would like to say a thousand of things to her husband, she cannot because she is not supposed to know what is in the box!

                   This is the scene that I will try to represent with my picture.

It's time to play

This is a Quiz about the short story Mrs Bixby and the Coronel’s Coat. I would use this activity as a post-treatment activity. Fist, the short story is read together in class and then I organize the class into groups of three or four students. When the class is divided into groups the game begins.

Each group starts the game with a set amount of money which will fluctuate throughout the game according to the group's knowledge. If they answer a question correctly money will be added, but if they answer incorrectly money will be deducted. I think that the use of games in the classroom makes learning fun and motivates students to participate more so than they would in ordinary lessons. Students like learning through play.

Quiz

            

                    Mrs Bixby had

1.  met the Colonel once a month.
2.  was married to a wealthy dentist.
3. an aunt who lived in Baltimore.

                  

                     

                  The Colonel

1. in an attractive house in the centre of Baltimore.
2. sometimes went to New York to visit Mrs Bixby.
3. was fond of riding and hunting.

                 

                 Which is not true?. When Mrs Bixby saw the large, flat box, she thought it might contain

1. underwear.
2. a dress.
3. a mink coat.

                The Colonet gave Mrs Bixby a mink coat as

1. a parting present.
2. a Christmas present.
3. a birthday present.

                If Mrs Bixby told her husband that Aunt Maude had given her the coat, her husband would

1. start asking questions.
2. want to thank her aunt.
3. ask her to sell the coat.

 

              Which is true?

1. Mrs Bixby didn't want to put her name and address on the ticket
2. Mrs Bixby told the pawnbroker her handbad had been stolen.
3. The pawnbroker didn't want to lend Mrs Bixby any money.

              Mrs Bixby arrived home later than usual because

1. she had been to a pawnbroker.
2. she coudn't find a taxi.
3. her train was delayed.

              Mrs Bixby refused to go to claim the ticket with her husband because

1. she didn't want to be seen going to a pawnbroker.
2. she didn't want to be greeted like an old customer by the pawnbroker.
3. she wanted to have a surprise.

              When she saw the little fur neckpiece hanging from her husband's hand, she thought

1. her husband was pulling her leg.
2.  the pawnbroker had cheated her husband.
3. she was dreaming.

             As Miss Pulteney went past her wearing the beautiful black mink coat, Mrs Bixby realized

1. the secretary had stolen the pawn ticket.
2. her husband was having an affair with his secretary.
3. the Colonel had given Miss Pulteney a mink coat as well.

Glogster Mrs Bixby and the Coronel's Coat

This glogster, about the short story Mrs Bixby and the Coronel’s Coat, was designed to give a brief overview of the story. I would use it as a pre-treatment activity as I think it would be a good way to introduce students to the story. In it they will find some pictures  of the main characters and then guess who they are. Moreover, I will provide them with a video in which they can watch before reading the text giving them an insight into what the story is going to be about. Finally they will be presented with some abstract nouns such us love, betrayal and deception which will give the students some clues when guessing the main topic of the story.

http://www.glogster.com/cristinagilabertbreto/mrs-bixby-and-the-coronel-s-coat/g-6lg5j9auo2apouusqmlaia0