Week 10 reflection

This is the last week of Webskills course. I really appreciate everyone in my class. All of you gave me good ideas, encouragements, some tips, and professional suggestions. These are my treasures which I got here.

I tried LoTI, and I got a result. I agree with that. I know I’m going to teach more student-centered with using more technology in the future.

Well, yesterday it was decided by Osaka city Board of Education that I will change the school from this coming April. It is a new senior high school and there are projectors in every classroom and students are interested in business and economics. I need to arrange my project plan for new school and new students, but I’m excited about that. In the new school, I definitely believe I can make use of the knowledge I’ve learned here.

Week 9 reflection

By making the Project, I reflected what I've got during these 9 weeks. There are some tasks I've done and it gives me some confidence.
In discussion we discussed issues related with multiple intelligences. There is a topic about handwriting. In Japan, many elementary students learn calligraphy (it is regarded as an art) because we should write words beautifully in my culture. Naturally, handwriting is encouraged by teachers, until the end of high school. Yes, it’s very old-fashioned and I don’t think it is bad. Yet, I think students need to use other different tool, a computer, too. In most places in the world, now people use both handwriting and computer. Why should they learn only by a pencil and a notebook? We, teachers need to use computer as a tool and show them by teaching in any subject. English, why not? English class will open the door to a broad world. Then it is not unusual to teach English using a computer, which will broaden students’ world. If we, teachers, cannot use a computer effectively in class, there is no choice. However if we can, we can choose when and where we use the tool. That’s the point, I think.

Project Planning - Thank you so much!

I finally finished the project this week. I didn’t teach this term, so I would try my plan as soon as possible and want to see how students react and what things will happen. Thanks to my partners’ advice, I could make my project more concrete. I really appreciate Anna and Vilma.  Partners’ points of views deepen my idea more. Thanks a lot. And of course, all the classmates give me ideas to plan this project through discussion, blogs and tasks. Thank you for your fruitful cooperation.

Week 8 reflection

I wrote the first draft of my project. I don’t teach last February and this March, so I planned it in my head. Therefore some points might be not realistic. To guess my students reaction was the most difficult part because their reaction would be various.

What I was impressed is how useful some online tools are. AVILL has lots of possibilities to use in class or outside of class. I would like to share the information with my co-workers and discuss the usage of the tool.  In my school, several teachers teach English for one grade, so English teachers need to work as a team.  The tool will supplement our teaching style focusing on reading and writing. In our head, we know the lack of speaking practice. Such practice will improve their reading or writing skills, too. Each skill is related and we need foster integrated skill in order to be international people. 

Survey making was also refreshment for me. New students will enter my school from this coming April, and I’m excited about that. Now I’m planning the new students’ English course. At the beginning of English class, I can carry out the survey and know students’ needs and readiness. This is also helpful tool and the spread sheet makes me easier to collect the data and put them in order. What a wonderful thing! Tools should help us.