Multimedia (ICT) And CLIL

Many years ago, the style of teaching and learning was completely different.

First of all, in Spain only had some class where the students worked other languages but nobody had more subjects in another different language than the mother tongue.However, nowadays the necessity to learn English has changed many things in the classes.

We know that CLIL method is applied in many schools but, I have some doubts and questions about if we like a future teachers and all the professional teachers, know how we should teach a meaningful CLIL class.

Although everybody does not know anything about education can realized that inside the class has appeared others methods for teaching. However, I think that many teachers do not know how to use them correctly.

From my point of view, there are a lot of aspects that should be improved, because an English class or a class where the teacher teaches the contents in English like “Science” needs a dynamic and motivating methodology of teaching. 

For this reason, I have decided to create a reflection about the new technologies (TICS) that can be applied in the classes.

“Teachers had been incorporating multimedia projects in their classroom for years. Teachers had been using teaching their students how to develop and use multimedia projects long before computers became common place in the classroom (School newspaper)”. 

(Green, Brown, 2002, 12)

But… actually, do the teachers use in a correct and meaningful way the technologies in their classes?

Multimedia, animation and data handling are the concepts in which I am interested and we also can relate them with CLIL. All of them, can be similar because if you want to make pictures that they appear to move the screen, you will need technologies such as data-project, computers, or interactive whiteboard (they are things that multimedia includes). In addition, if you are going to use these materials, you have to integrate and develop a Learning Skill called data handling (it will allow to understand and to organize the information).

Despite all the similar definitions, MULTIMEDIA CONCEPT will allow me to continue with this reflection.

I found in an interesting PDF document a complete definition about multimedia concept.

“In the field of education we have long used media sometimes referred to as “audio-visual aids” to help in our teaching. These have been many and varied, and have included things like movies, videos, slides, audio tapes, overhead transparencies, along with various sorts of equipment such as cameras, recorders and television monitors. The term “multimedia” is a relatively new word that is used to describe a combination of different media, all being used to best describe or explain something.”  

(Cutting, A. and Loan, ADB, 2011, 4)

So, multimedia elements in the classroom can include many activities created  by teachers or activities that they have found for children where they, can construct and to discover new knowledge.

I can see different types of multimedia but first, we have to say that there are two types of multimedia projects:

•      “The classical media production project” (It is not a computer based)
•       “The digital multimedia project”

(Green and Brown, 2002, 12-13)

However, we need to relate the multimedia elements that can be developed and used in CLIL classroom. For this reason, we have to concentrate in some types of DIGITAL MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION PROJECTS.

•  Text files: These are  word processor documents that are typed into a computer. They can also be produced by scanning text from a book.

•  Photographs Digital:  As pictures.

•  Sound recordings: CDs. But now it is also possible to make simple digital voice recordings on a number of devices, including the computer.

•   Videos: DVDs.

•   Animations: Animations are like cartoons. They are pictures or other objects. Animations can be very useful but they are difficult to create.

(Cutting, A. and Loan, ADB, 2011).  

At the beginning I expressed with the multimedia definition that the interactive whiteboards were important elements.

If I think in an English class or if I remember my experience in the school during the last practicum at the University, this material was very useful to learn more effectively.

There are many aspects that interactive whiteboards offer. For instance, the motivation that the students have to feel every day in the class, with this material it would be possible to achieve it.

We know that the process to learn a second language is different to learn Linguistic and Literature in your mother tongue.

In CLIL, the teachers teach the contents of the subjects in a different language that the first language. For this reason, the students can feel despondent. However, if the teachers teach how to use and they use correctly this material the development of the class will be better.

If I have to say what kinds of advantages have to use TICS inside the classroom, I would say that we can get an effective collaboration in class and the teachers can present the information in different ways.

There are different reasons and interesting advantages to use them:

• Younger learners are growing up with technology and it is integrated in their lives. The internet presents us new authentic tasks and materials. If we allow learners to use the internet in the classroom, we can develop collaboration and communication. And also, if we promote the use of technology tools, can give learners the four skills-speaking, listening, writing and reading.

 (Dudeney, Hockly, 1988-2007)

After collecting some examples of multimedia productions and advantages about that, I support the idea about the benefits of using multimedia in the subjects where the students have to learn a second language.

The teachers can capture their attention and explain difficult concepts in a second language.

In fact, I observed during my practicum that all the students were able to integrate the contents of the language faster because they could participate in the learning process and moreover, they could discover alone the contents through everything that the interactive whiteboard is able to offer.

The second language acquisition is something difficult for children. For this reason we can find a solution if we use multimedia elements, because the motivation is one of the most important aspects that appears when we organize the information through the programmes which these technologies offer. In addition, I could see in a real class that the students are able to retain all the new information better because they can interact with the material.

However, we have seen that there are many tools and things to apply and use inside the classroom but in contrast, there are many ways to use those tools. Definitely, we have to know how we should use them with the students and we have to know, how much time we have to use them.

From my point of view, I think that the world changes and we have to change with it.  So, using multimedia elements inside the class should be applied in all the subjects. In addition, I think that we should work with the traditional and new methods together because the aim will be achieved if we work and develop all the skills.

I can realized that to use these types of materials required more time to plan, organize and evaluate multimedia activities and there are teachers that they do not want to waste time in making interactive pages and activities. (The teachers want to finish the book as soon as possible) Or more specifically, there are teachers that feel afraid of new technology. Inside one page of a book, I found examples of comments from teachers about this topic: 

• “My students know so much about computers than I do"

• “I don´t know anything about technology!"

• “I´d like to use computers more, but preparing materials is so consuming."

(Dudeney, Hockly, 1988-2007, 9)

However, I think that the little information and knowledge that the students can acquire with multimedia, will be better than all the things  that the teachers can teach and the students can learn only with a text book. So, if we use both materials, we can teach better and with more resources.

 References

•  Dudeney, G. & Hockly, N. (1988). How to teach English with technology.England: Pearson Logman.

• Green, T. & Brown, A. (2002). Multimedia projects in the Classroom; A guide to development and evaluation. California: Corwin Press.

WEB

• Cutting, A. & Loan, ADB. (2011). Using Multimedia in the Classroom. A Guide for Teachers. Recuperado el 17 de Octubre, 2013 de: http://www.mesc.gov.ws/pdf/Multimedia_Teacher_Guide.pdf

Communication Skill: SPEAKING

Communication is a word that everybody hears a lot along our lives. When someone talks about communication, we are able to understand that there are different types and ways. Possibly the most common way known, are Oral Communication and Written Communication.

Children in the class have to communicate several times during the day and in addition, the adults “to survive” have to use the communication too. 
The KEY WORD in this reflection will be “Oral Communication” or “Speaking” (a similar concept). I am sure that if I go on the street and I ask someone: “Excuse me … Could you tell me what Oral communication is?” May be, that person has an idea about the concept, because it is something that we use all the time. However, I think that it will be difficult for that person to give me a good or complete definition about my question. 
For this reason, before continuing, it is important to express a simple definition: 

• Oral communication (speaking) is: “The act or an instance of communicating; the importing or exchange of information, ideas or feelings."  

(Word Reference dictionary)


If I connect the right definition of “speaking” with my memories from when I was a child in English classes, I can say that only the teacher knew what it was the competence that was written in the Primary Curriculum. But actually, nobody in the class worked the oral skill to learn English as a second language. Or if the teacher did some communicative activity with us… it was rarely and I do not remember. 

So, what is the place that takes Oral Communication in the classroom?

Is it important…? 

Can communication be in a second place when someone is learning a second language?

When I have investigated about this competence, I have seen that communication (speaking) can be related if we work this in a class or outside with other type of oral communication called: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION. “Interpersonal communication takes place when people of whatever age interact. They talk, listen, observe and react to each other, exchanging information in many different ways”. 
(Petrie, 1989-2011, 17) 

So, actually to talk about interpersonal communication can be similar to say oral expression or speaking because in both there are two processes:

 1. One person sends information. 

 2. The other person receives the message. 


Communication is something that we use in our daily day. For this reason, we can find different types of this competence inside and outside the class, or wherever you are. Previously, in this reflection I said that it is most common to know that there are two ways to communicate (oral and written) however, there are people who do not know that both ways to communicate can be: Formal and informal and in addition, it can be transmitted in verbal way and also that there are situations in where we use non-verbal communication. 

According to Diane M. Hoffmann. (The founder of Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications.) I found the meaning of informal and formal communication: 

• Informal communication "is casual and spontaneous. Informal communication comes from communication activities outside of those formally learned through discipline or at school through education, or in business. It comes from the social communication of home family culture, casual conversations and grapevines, rumors, inter-relational activities outside of the formal or public areas. “ 

•  Formal communication "is more thought-out and prepared from learned experiences or organized training that presents rules. In a formal setting, people take the time to recognize the consequences of transmitting any wrong or incomplete information”. 

And in the other hand, I have to add: 

• Verbal communication: “face to face”. Oral expression. 

• Non- verbal communication where Kendra Cherry, (Writer and educator specialized in making psychology for students) says that: “A substantial portion of our communication is nonverbal. In many cases, we communicate information in nonverbal ways using groups of behaviors”.

I think that the way of communication that we are going to use, is connected with a teaching style. So, we can call it METHOD. 
The method which the teacher chooses to apply it in the class will be responsible of the skills that children will learn. So if we can develop the speaking we have to apply the Communicative approach method.
In the classroom, the communicative activities produce meaningful and real communication between the students. And if I find the principles in the communicative language teaching in my notes of “Didáctica del Inglés”, I can say the following: 

• Our aim is to communicate in the target language. So the teachers will facilitate communication and the students will be communicators. It is important to remember the 3 characteristics in the activities: Information gap (when someone is describing, and the other person does not anything about it).  Choice (they can choose what and how to describe it) and feedback.  
• We can use the first language if the students do not understand something. 
• Related with the evaluation we have to pay attention to the fluency and accuracy. But the errors are natural and necessary so, the teacher will do accuracy activities (It is important to know that during the activities the teachers should not correct the mistakes immediately. The teachers can write the mistake that she has listened and then, students can try to guess how to say it.) 
•  And finally, we have to use different techniques and materials such as LANGUAGE GAMES, ROLE PLAYS, PICTURES STRIP STORY…

(Larsen-Freeman, 2000)

I remember that I had little opportunities for learning English language through speaking games with my classmates. And nowadays, I realize that it is very important to acquire fluency and other things. 
It would be a good idea to explain some communicative activity, where the students can work the speaking. There are many types of games. We can find verbal and non verbal games where children have to describe or to imitate something only with the body´s movements or face´s expressions. 
Games like role plays or dialogues are very useful. However, while I am observing a book, I found one game that I liked it, because they use the” information gaps”. In addition, they can find “choice”  And finally, the students can give at the end of the activity, a little “feedback.” 

 -  Name: WALLFLOWERS. 

 -  Type of activity: PAIR WORK AND INFORMATION GAP.

 -  Function: DESCRIBING PEOPLE´S CLOTHES. 

 -  Exponent: WHO IS THE… GIRL/MAN? WHO IS THE GIRL/MAN WITH THE…? WHICH ONE? THE ONE WITH… 

 -  Lexical areas: CLOTHES, ADJETIVES DESCRIBING PYSICAL APPEARANCE.


 How to use the game? 

“Copy enough pictures for all the students in the class. Divide the class into pairs and give out copies of the picture A and B to each pair. They should not look at each other´s picture. Tell the students that they are at a party with a friend. They know the names of some people at a party, but not the others. The object of the game is to find the names of all the people at the party. They must to describe the people they do not know to their partner, and ask who they are.”

(Hadfield, 1984, 15)

After seeing all the most important information about the “speaking or oral communication” it is interesting to say that this competence or skill needs a good speaker like the oral comprehension needs a good listener. 

The communication, can offers many positives aspects related with learning. For instance, the communicative activities can help the students to improve and to develop the language more meaningfully and efficiently. However, it is important to know that the activities should be chosen correctly. So, we cannot forget the three characteristics (information gap, choice and feedback) of communicative activities. 

In my opinion, the activities or the actions which are related with communicative concept and that the teachers, can do inside the class need another preparation that the activity in which the student work grammar with a worksheet. 

 It is not the same to achieve the aim working grammar in groups and while everybody is speaking in a game, than to work it, with the English book. 

It shows that to work the oral communication or speaking in class requires more effort, motivating games, activities to do (with all the class, in pairs, in group…) and material to use. In fact, it is necessary to know that if we are working with pupils they will not be able to produce a spontaneous speech. So we have to work step by step and I think that the draws on the board can be very useful when the students do not know much about the second language.

My point of view about communication is completely positive and in addiction, it is important for learning a language. However, if we want to be professional in our job, we have to know that the students need to develop the four skills (not only oral communication skill) while they are learning a new language. 
For this reason, we have to use and work all the methods, all the strategies. Exactly, we have to create motivation and dynamic classes in where all the people can see that this place is meaningful. 


-----------------------------------------------------

 References: 


 • Hadfield, J. (1984) Elementary communication games (Collection of games and activities for elementary student of English). Nelson. Uk.

 • Larsen- Freeman, D. (2000) Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. Oxford University Press. Oxford. 

 • Petrie, P. (2011) Communication skills for working with children and young people Introducing social pedagogy. London. 



 Webs:

 • Cherry, K. Types of Nonverbal Communication 8 Major Nonverbal Behaviors. Recuperado el día 10 Octubre, 2013 de: http://psychology.about.com/od/nonverbalcommunication/a/nonverbaltypes.htm

 • Hoffmann, D. & Hoffmann, R. (2011) Blog Contextual communication Verbal and non-verbal . Recuperado el día 10 Octubre, 2013 de: http://communicationverbalnonverbal.blogspot.com.es/2011/04/formal-vs-informal-communication-how.html

 • Word reference Dictionary. Recuperado el día 10 Octubre, 2013 de: http://www.wordreference.com/es/

George´s Marvellous Medicine; READER

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEFORE READING

1. Why does George want to make a medicine?

2. Does anybody know something about this medicine? Will the medicine be for George? 

3. Do you think that this child is a wizard? Or... is George a child as all of you? 

AFTER READING

Adaptation; Romans Text.

1. What was life like for a Roman family? 

Women in Roman times were less important than men, they lived for serving them. The father was the most important in the family. He could decide the baby´s destiny. Many girls got married and died young, and they could die if they didn´t have a baby.

2. Did Romans go to school? 

At Roman times the rich boys were basically the only ones that could go to school. They prepared them for the army or government. The poor children worked helping their parents.












3. Did the romans have free time? 

Most people in Roman did not have free time. Soldiers often played table games. People hunted animals for fun and for food. Roman emperors enjoyed fights between gladiators, and fights between people and animals and they paid to see it in the amphitheatres. 

 4. How did Rome get its name? 

Rome is now the capital city of Italy. The Romans had a story to explain how Rome began. In this story appeared Twin boys: Romulus and Remus, were the sons of Mars. 


An evil uncle took the babies from their mother and threw them into the River Tiber to drown. And a wolf mother fed and took for them. Later a herdsman looked after the twins until they grew up. Years later, Mars told his sons to build a city. The city was Rome. One day, Remus made fun of the wall Romulus had built around the city. The twins argued, and Romulus killed Remus.


Adaptations:
 In this activity our group decided to use different things of adapations texts such as:
- Bold font important words and verbs (capital city, sons, began...)
- Reordering some sentences.
- Parphrasing: Some difficult sentences. 
- Removing unnecessary details. (We simplified all the text)

C is for Collaborate

Collaborate is the key word in this reflection. You can relate this concept with many aspects but, I am going to keep relation with CLIL (Contend and Language Integrated Learning).
There are many ways to define this concept because after investigating about it I know that it has different points of view or many ways to use it in different contexts. Also, I have studied something about this last summer in a course and it seemed very interesting and important to apply with the students.

First, it is important to start saying: 

 WHAT DOES “COLLABORATE” MEAN?

For example, If I research this word in “Teaching Knowledge Test” document I can see that “collaborate” is the same that: “ To work together in class in order to plan, create, discuss and evaluate”.  (University of Cambridge; Content and language integrated learning, 2009, 5) 

May be, it could be enough with this, although in my opinion, it is an easy and simple definition about an interesting topic as can be Collaborative Learning. For that reason I have others definitions that could be able to get that people interested or not interested about “collaborate” could understand what it wants to say. 
In the page refers to “Scientific Reasoning Research Institute” (Collaborate group Techniques; Methods for teaching via small-group cooperative learning work), I read that: “Collaborative groups refer to a variety of structured classroom management techniques and grading systems developed and studied by Aronson, Johnson and Johnson, Kagan, Slavin and others”  (The Scientific Reasoning Research Institute. University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2013  )

 With this definition we can be more informed about the word that I have chosen. However, there are different books that talk about this topic: Collaborate or collaborative groups (being cooperative and collaborative two concepts very similar). So, one author explains that “Cooperative or collaborative learning essentially involves students learning from each other in groups. It is the way that the students and teachers work together and the teacher helps students learn how to learn more effectively” (Being “effectively” one of the benefits in CLIL.) 

(Larsen- Freeman, 200, 164) 

With these explanations I can realize that with a Collaborative Learning the students will develop and improve different social skills because in this method the teachers prepare several activities for their students and they, have to work in pairs or in small and interactive groups for to reach the solution. In addition, i think that if the teachers apply this method, will exist a meaningfully environment inside the class.

The majority of us when we learn something or when we want to teach something, we search a beginning and then, we search an end for to understand the content. May be the start was the different definitions that you can see in this reflection and the next step could be the advantages or disadvantages of the concept. For this reason I can say that there are many advantages and benefits when we use the CLIL method in the classroom. The “European Commission Language” page offers us some of them: The children can build intercultural knowledge and they can develop communication and social skills. Inside the classroom, they can learn through different methods and in this way it is possible that they can increase their motivation in the subject.

I believe that if the teachers work in groups in their classes, the benefits of CLIL will be better than before and the aims will be acquired faster. 

In many subjects, as Science, the students learn new vocabulary and new concepts. Simply, they learn the contents in other language different to their mother tongue. For that, we can find several types of groups that teachers can use in their subjects connected with CLIL or even in a different moments and contexts. The Collaborative learning, which teachers can use in CLIL has got several opinions by authors, web sites and documents. There are many different ways to work in groups, although I have chosen some collaborative groups structures from a website that we can use to teach contents. 

• FISHBOWL: One team of three or four people has to work on an exercise, but other team has to observe the first team that will be working, while they are looking for a solution (even if one team has not finished the problem, all the class can discuss.) 

•  THINKING IN PAIRS: In pairs, the students have to think about the questions and then, they have to discuss the answer of the question with all the class. 

• TEAM PRODUCT: The students will work together but each person will have different role (manager, reader, writer, speaker…).

• ROVING REPORTER: When a team has problems, one person can walk in the room, for observing and to find a solution. 

(The Scientific Reasoning Research Institute (SRRI), University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2013) 

With the examples that I have shown before, we can realize that in CLIL and specifically in Collaborate Learning, is possible to get the social and communicative skills. In fact, I could find that it is possible to create a variety opportunities to acquire more skills as reading or writing if we work in groups or in pairs: 

“If you are discussing globalization, first have the students write down some of their own thoughts about the pros and cons of globalization. In pairs, each student could read what the other wrote. The two students can then combine their answer into one written statement. They can practice presenting their conclusion. One pair then presents to another pair. The two pairs discuss their different and try to establish one common text.” 

(Mehisto, Marsh & Frigols, 2008, 33)

We know that everything in the world has got good side and, in the other hand it has got bad part. Even I can say that in the Collaborative learning we can find some disadvantages. For example, if I remember my experience during my practices in the school the last year I can say different things that I could observed when children were working in groups. 


Sometimes, I saw that the groups needed more experience into know how to work and... Also, we have to know that the person who explains the instructions must be careful when he or she creates the activity. 

It is necessary that the activity is well planned and for children in Primary Education it can be a little bit complicated. The teachers will have to know that they have to do a well plan about of each activity or exercise duration, because the students need time to get the aims. Finally, if we apply a Collaborate Learning, we have to create a lot of materials and activities because is not the same to think to work in an individual way that to create something for more people who will work in groups. 

It is possible that there are people who think that Collaborative Learning is positive or negative to develop a class. However, I found something that may support my opinion. (Collaborative Learning is necessary)
Inside of a book I found many activities and in many of them the students have to work in groups. Specifically, I found something that can help us to know what we can do for a 60-minute lesson and I have seen in the example, that the teachers can do many things in their classes connected with the topic of the subject and in addition, they can do things related with the Collaborate or cooperative Learning . So in this way and from my point of view, a professional teacher will create a dynamic and motivated class because he or she is able to combine different types of things and styles of teaching. 

 “Discussing”, “doing peer co-operative work to compare results from reading, and using information to create something as a plan or a list of recommendations”…

 (Mehisto, Marsh & Frigols, 2008, 33) 

The Collaborative work connected with CLIL has got important functions for example I think that with this methodology the students can change and to think new ideas, analyze and speak, with the different groups. So, the aims can be obtained efficiently and also, will exist a meaningful learning, where the students acquire the Social and Communication skills. 
 We know that the learning of a second language is too hard, but it is possible that if we use the collaboration in class, the students can feel that the subjects are not boring or complicated. Therefore, we can get that children are motivated. In the other hand, I think that this style of working can be related with the assessment because the learners sometimes in groups, individually or in pairs, can give a feedback to the other classmate. (Perhaps, I believe that it is necessary to give students an opportunity to evaluate the group work.) 
I want to highlight that COLLABORATE is used to work and acquire many values because while we are learning a second language we need everybody´s help, not only the teacher´s help. If we work in groups, the student and also the teachers will work better. I suppose that there are many documents and books where we can read a lot of actual experiences. 
In fact, I have had the opportunity to read some experiences of real teachers that they have had in their classes while they were applying the Cooperative Learning. The teachers worked contents of a second language and I have seen that the results are positive.

 So I want to say to all the future teachers like me… 

Why do we not try it?

References:

-Barkley, F., Patricia Cross, K., & Howell Major, C. (2007) Técnicas de aprendizaje colaborativo: manual para el profesorado universitario (Collaborative Learning Technique). Madrid: MORATA S.L.

-  Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000) Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. Oxford University Press: Oxford.

-Mehisto, P., Marsh, D., & Frigols, M. (2008) Uncovering CLIL. (Content and language integrated learning in Bilingual and Multilingual Education).Oxford: McMillan.

-Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT) (2009) Content and language integrated learning. University of Cambridge.

- European Commission Language. Recuperado el 4 Octubre, 2013 de: http://ec.europa.eu/languages/language-teaching/content-and-language-integrated-learning_en.htm

- The Scientific Reasoning Research Institute (SRRI), (2013) University of Massachusetts Amherst. Recuperado el 4 de Octubre, 2013 de:    http://www.srri.umass.edu/topics/collaborative-group-techniques