Creativity and learning disabilities

I have found this short film on YouTube on the issue of students with learning disabilities. It is in a foreign language (subtitled in English), but it really moved me and I think it will make you reflect on the way we teach and the other ways we could teach. This video illustrates a cruel reality in which students who don’t fit into the educational system feel stressful and out of place. We should change that perception. Drama, mime, dance… are also subjects. 

As the teacher in the film says, “we often try to see in people what they cannot do, rather than seeing what they actually can”.

A tweet on a theory of learning

Vygotsky's Social Development Theory:
https://twitter.com/SusanaMMonfort/status/821835090846248961

Vygotsky's theory is a variety of cognitive constructivism that emphasizes the collaborative nature of much learning. That is, we learn as a group, within a social context. A class activity derived from this theory would be based on team work and interaction. The teacher could present some cultural and social concepts, problems or scenarios and students would have to reflect on them. It would be important to make students see that we see reality as we have learnt, according to the cultural and social values from where we live.

Here, some other tweets on teaching approaches:

Krashen's Natural Approach:
https://twitter.com/SusanaMMonfort/status/820641730701783047

Service-learning Approach:
https://twitter.com/SusanaMMonfort/status/820306766395125760

Motivational graph!

In this post I am going to attach a graph illustrating how motivation evolves in a class. Students may start their classes more or less motivated and energetic, but this rhythm usually drops throughout the lesson (or throughout the term or the year), as they can feel tired or frustrated. Finally, motivation starts to grow again at the last attempt to end the course. To avoid the fall of motivation, which is quite important in the learning process, the teacher must look for innovative and creative options that draw students' attention, depending on their needs and interest, so the line does not vary significantly.
Mark your own motivation stages during this lesson (and the reasons why)/give a score of motivation during this lesson. On the Y axis ( from one to ten, on the “x” axis (beginning …….. body ………….end).

Now I am going to quote an example of a proper English class that can be quite helpful: 

"Proper classroom explanation is needed by the teacher, so the students can well understand what is expected of them (Harris). In the ESL classroom this is more apt to create anxiety because the explanations are given in another language that takes even more effort by the students to comprehend than their own language. A well-planned lesson is essential. The teacher must be creative and flexible. Depending on the nature of the class and the students' levels, the dynamics of the class must be appropriate. I teach a first year high school class of 12 boys who are very energetic. I can generally teach at the i+1 level, a little above what they already know. But sometimes when they don't understand, I have to change gears and think of another way as to not lose the energy of the class. I also teach a class of 12 second year boys who are not energetic at all. The lessons must be very simple, yet fun and interesting, with a lot of changes from a writing exercise, to a speaking, a listening, back to writing, and so on, all in the same class. The students' span of attention and levels are lower, so if something is a bit challenging they don't have what it takes to do it. Unlike the first year boys who enjoy challenging materials and will try harder to understand some things on their own. The type of student I am trying to mold is one who, when faced with something he doesn't understand, will say "Hmm, I think I know what he means, I'll give it a try", instead of "I didn't understand, I can't possibly start this on my own." (Source: http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Lile-Motivation.html).

Will English always be the global language?

Interesting reflection by the linguist David Crystal on the relation of power with the dominance of a language. But will English always be the global language? Maybe Chinese, Spanish, Arabic? Everything is possible.

Learning styles questionnaire

In the next link you will find a questionnaire to know which are your learning styles:

- Active-Reflective

- Sensing-Intuitive

- Visual-Verbal

- Sequential-Global

https://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

These were my results:

      ACT                                  X                REF
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      SEN          X                                        INT
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      VIS                          X                        VRB
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      SEQ                          X                        GLO
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

"Aulas felices"

"Aulas felices” es un programa educativo (disponible en Internet de manera gratuita) basado en la Psicología Positiva y dirigido a alumnos de Educación Infantil, Primaria y Secundaria. El objetivo de este programa es lograr un clima de aula agradable, positivo y colaborativo. A continuación expongo tres actividades interesantes que podemos aplicar a nuestras clases (en este caso de Secundaria e Inglés, pero sirve para cualquier asignatura):

1. Inventar juegos, para reforzar la creatividad. Los estudiantes exponen en clase el juego o deporte que han ideado y redactan las instrucciones para establecer las bases. Por último, queda... ¡jugar! Es una manera de que se comuniquen en inglés, utilicen vocabulario relacionado con los juegos y apliquen estructuras gramaticales en imperativo.

2. Basándonos en la fortaleza número tres (humanidad), les inculcamos la capacidad de amar y ser amado y de sentir compasión. Tienen que reflexionar sobre un conflicto que hayan vivido con algún ser querido y entender ambas posturas. En grupos, eligen un conflicto y lo dramatizan. Finalmente, se debate entre todos y se llega a una conclusión. 

3. Para que aprendan a ser ciudadanos responsables, podemos llevar a clase una noticia sobre la problemática del medio ambiente o el consumismo desmesurado y concienciarles sobre la repercusión de nuestra conducta individual.  Tras un debate, los alumnos configuran una lista con posibles acciones para proteger la naturaleza y ser consumidores responsables. Por último, pueden escribir una carta a un centro comercial pidiendo que eliminen o reduzcan el uso de bolsas de plástico o recibos en papel, o al Ayuntamiento solicitando más contenedores de reciclaje, entre otras acciones sociales.

(Fuente: Programa “Aulas felices”: Psicología Positiva aplicada a la Educación, del Equipo SAT).

4. Por último, para reforzar la empatía propongo organizar una galería de arte sobre el tema de la empatía, para la que los alumnos (en grupos) tendrán que llevar una fotografía hecha por ellos mismos que represente un estado de ánimo. Se expone por la clase y cada equipo describe su imagen y el porqué de la emoción que sienten.

----

"Aulas Felices" is an educational programme based on Positive Psychology and directed to students of Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education. Its objective is to achieve a pleasant, positive and collaborative climate in the classrooms. Here are three interesting activities that can be applied to our classes (in this case of Secondary Education and English, although it is useful for any subject):

1. Inventing games, to reinforce the creativity. The students present the game or sport they have devised and write the instructions to establish the bases. Finally, time to play! It is a way to  make them communicate in English, use vocabulary related to games and apply grammatical structures  in imperative.

2. Based on strength number three (humanity), we inculcate the ability of loving and being loved and feeling compassion for those we love. Pupils have to reflect on a conflict they have experienced with a friend or relative and try to understand both positions. In groups, they choose one of these conflicts and dramatise it. Finally, there is a general debate and a conclusion is reached.

3. In order to learn how to be responsible citizens, we teachers can bring to class news about environmental problems or excessive consumerism. After a discussion on the topic, the students make a list with possible solutions to protect nature and be responsible. In the end, they can write a letter to a shopping centre asking for the elimination or reduction of the use of plastic bags or paper receipts, or to the City Council requesting more recycling bins, among other social actions.

(Source: Programa “Aulas felices”: Psicología Positiva aplicada a la Educación, del Equipo SAT Team).

4. Finally, to reinforce empathy, I propose to organise an art gallery on the subject of empathy. In groups, students will have to bring photographs taken by them that represent a certain mood. The pictures will be hanged around the class and each team will describe their image and the emotion to the rest of the class, as if it was an art gallery. 

Multiple Intelligence Self-Assessment

https://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-assessment

On this website, there is a quiz on the theory of multiple intelligences. You will be asked 24 questions about your interests and daily activities. When you complete it, it will tell you which are your strengths.

According to my results, I am 88% intrapersonal.