WEBQUESTS (reflection)

During this week, we worked on Webquests which is a topic I did not have idea about it. After reading some articles, I found this topic intereting since I think it could be useful for us in a future, as teachers.

I would like to mention that I felt frustrated the first days since I started reading and I did not understand anything until I read this wonderful page (http://www.angelfire.com/folk/webquests/index.html) which has a good definition and examples. This page helped me to understand this topic and to make my task. Now, I feel happy since I got an idea about webquest and how I can use it as a teacher.

René Blanco.

WEBQUEST (task)

During this week, we had to look for what a Webquest is and what it is for.

According to this website (http://edweb.sdsu.edu/WebQuest/overview.htm) A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. 

Now, according to that definition,  WebQuests are designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

after I read some advantages and disadvantages of webquest, I found that some of them are:

Advantages:

• Students assume the role that allows them to investigate an issue through their view. The students are more responsible for the own learning therefore they construct a deeper understanding of the content.
• Student’s ca gain access to webquest sites at home so they can work on the task at home.
• It’s something different. Students get to use technology, which they like, and they can zone in on sites to look for information rather than search the net aimlessly.

Disadvantages:

• Have to ensure task required is actually beneficial. Questionable educational benefit in having students surfing the nest without a meaningful task in the mind.
• Webquests can take a considerable amount of class time, especially when students can’t get access from home.
• Students can get bored doing the same thing with the content, reading it and then writing answers.
• Can get easily distracted using the web.

As a conclusion, I would like to mention that it depends on each student since they are the ones who are going to investigate and take this role. Also, as one of the disadvantages mentions, students get easily distracted and this can be a trouble in their progress.

the following link is a good example of a webquest ( for learning English a Second Language).

http://www.angelfire.com/folk/webquests/index.html

week 11

Hello everyone! 
During this week, we learnt how to learn since the articles that we had to read were related to" more learning than teaching". 

I really liked it because I learnt that there are another ways to give a class. For instance, I think the PBL is a pretty good way to give a class. I mention this way because I had no idea about it and I really liked it after I read it. However, I felt nervous because I didn´t have idea about all these topics, but at the end of the week I after all those articles that  I read, I felt happy since I know I learn a lot and I know that these ways are going to help me in a future, as a teacher.


Greetings,


Rene Blanco

Reflection of reading/writing -week 10-

During the week 10, I had to work in two of the four skills which are reading and listening. Also I had to check some page according to some activities. I learned a lot since I could notice that there are some pages that we can give to students to enhance their grammar, reading and listening.

At the other hand I feel happy since I could notice there different ways to work in a classroom or I can teach to students with different pages. AS I said during whis week, reading and writing are not easy for students. that is why we, as teachers, have to work in these skills. in this way students can improve them and have a facilitate to communicate with people who speak English.

Greetings,

René Blanco

task-week 10-

THa page that I worked during this week was  in Adult Learning Activities which is for beginners. ITs urk is http://legacy.lclark.edu/~krauss/toppicks/reading.html and it is useful for students who had started to learn English since it ahs many activities which students can improve their reading and their writing: I think this page would work for students since, as I said before. It helps them to work in their readin and writing. This page also has some vocabulary activities which students could learn new vocabulary and grammar.
Concluding about this page,  IT is really usefuk if beginners want to prtactice what they have learned so far or if they want to improve any of the four skills. I recommend this page since other students of different level can work on it.

René Blanco.

Websites to Explore

during this week we had to work Aural skills. These skills are focused on Listening and Speaking, as we know each of them is related to the other one. For example, when we practice listening, we also practice the Speaking skill. 

We also had to workk in a website.Although it was difficult to choose one, I found this one interesting since the activity is dinamic. its link is http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/. I really recommend this page since it has many activities where students can improve their English. An advantage of these activities is that they can be done for any level of english, specially beginners.

I would like to conclude mentioning that I felt a little tired since I work in different websites and I have homework from another subjects. However, at the end of the week I felt exciting because I learned a lot again. Now, I´m just waiting for the next topic.

EDITING MY DELICIOUS

In this week, I had to edit my delicious, change the image and create some stacks with their own links.

While I was creating those stacks, I faced a problem which was that I didnt know how to tag each page.So, I got upset because I didn´t know how to do it. Then, I tried many times to tag each page until I did it!. 

After I finished editing, I started to explore some interesting links and saved them in my profile. Let me tell you that at the beginning I was angry due to I have no idea what I was doing. So, I calmed down and I started reading some articles. After read them, I saved them in my delicious. At the end of my first time in delicious, I got happy because now, I have a page where I can save and share links that I will need such as in my career as in a future, as a teacher.

 I recommend this page (delicious) since it is useful to those people who forget links, and maybe they will need them later. This page is useful for academic purposes since we can save any topic in it.

I would like to conclude mentioning that it depends on each person, how they are going to use it since some people may think that this kind of pages are useful, but for me it is an important tool which we can use in a classroom or in our life.