"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.

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"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.

Alastair Pennycook: "English is an unfair language"

Because...

-It acts as a gatekeeper for education, jobs and social mobility, favouring a monolingual elite, both in the Centre and in the Periphery.

-It makes certain domains inaccessible to many people.

- It is causing many minority languages to disappear and prevents many people from identifying with their mother tongue.

- It hinders literacy in the mother tongue for speakers of minority languages.

- It is not receptive to the needs of many people.

- It privileges the figure of NS in the ELT profession, together with many other fallacies.

- The prevailing, barely communicative, pedagogical orientation of EFL education in Spain tended to silence & marginalize learners (even though those coming from advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds).

Book review: http://www.tnewfields.info/Articles/PDF/reviewPennycook.pdf

I agree with these statements: in few words, English is an elitist language. Languages are built by a community of speakers who share certain cultural values, so it will evolve according to their needs. Then English may be useful to some people, but not to others. 

Moreover, privileging English language above their own, speakers are giving less importance to their mother tongue. The consequence is the disappearance of many languages. In relation to this, another characteristic is the leveling down of societies, as opposed to diversity. 

With regard to English at Spanish schools, pupils are not taught how to communicate in the real world. They finish 2nd of Bachillerato with a very poor level of English, so we have to reflect on what is being done wrong and change the methodology.

And the last point is: has everybody the same opportunities to learn English? At least nowadays Internet is quite accessible and offers a great variety of sources to read or listen to English.

My conclusion is that English is now the global language because English countries have the global power, but this may change. Using English for commercial purposes is useful, but we can't forget our mother tongue for our everyday life. Our language defines us. Being bilingual or plurilingual is really enriching and healthy for our brain, so let's take advantage of this!

10 creative ways to teach English that deliver outstanding results

https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/feb/14/teaching-english-creatively-outstanding-results

Motivational strategies

http://www.zoltandornyei.co.uk/uploads/motivational-strategies-english.pdf

A participatory action research project with Photovoice

"Photovoice is a research methodology used in participatory action research and needs assessment research across multiple disciplines. These research genres are underpinned by a common assumption that researched groups hold valid and valuable knowledge about their own needs, preferences and answers. Research methods are designed that access this knowledge and in so doing amplify the ‘voice’ of participant groups. In photovoice research this is achieved by participants generating photographs, drawings and other images that capture their beliefs, needs and world. Such research methods shift power in the research process from the researcher to the researched and in this way researchers gain access to the world of the participants through their eyes, with minimal interference in how this view is generated. The image-making process is combined with individual or group elicitation interviews (discussions) where the participants who created the images lead the interviews and talk researchers through the meaning and significance of their images as well as their thinking and perspectives" (Nelson&Christensen, 2009:36-37).

Nelson, Emily & Christensen, Kate. 2009. "Photovoice in the Middle: How our Students Experience Learning at School and Beyond". New Zealand Journal of Teachers’ Work. Volume 6, Issue 1.

An exciting photovoice activity for English students could consist of the election of a social problem that affects their daily life: cases of bullying or vandalism at school, the detection of dirt on the playground or the streets around, etc. They have to take pictures that illustrate those problems and bring them to class. The next step is to create an art gallery in the classroom. For the inauguration day they will have researched information on the problem and possible solutions to it. They will present their work of art to the rest of the class (journalists and visitors to the art gallery). They can bring crisps and soda for the show. After the presentation, there will be a press conference, in which "journalists" will ask questions related to the photographies. A great closure activity would be writing an article, after having taken notes of the answers or recorded the press conference. 

Here I am going to attach some pictures with examples of photovoice activities around the world that may help you have an idea of what it is:

Assessment: find your strengths

http://www.literacynet.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html My top three intelligences (it really hit the hail on the head!): 4.14  Language: You enjoy enjoy saying, hearing, and seeing words. You like telling stories. You are motivated by books, records, dramas, opportunities for writing. Effective techniques of enhancing your learning using your language intelligence include reading aloud, especially plays and poetry. Another idea is to write down reflections on what you've read. You may also enjoy exploring and developing your love of words, i.e., meanings of words, origin of words and idioms, names. Use different kinds of dictionaries. Other ideas: Keep a journal Use a tape recorder to tape stories and write them down Read together, i.e., choral reading Read a section, then explain what you've read Read a piece with different emotional tones or viewpoints — one angry, one happy, etc. Trade tall tales, attend story-telling events and workshops Research your name 3.86 Self: You have a very good sense of self. You like to spend time by yourself and think things over. You will often take in information from another person, mull it over by yourself, and come back to that person later to discuss it. You like working on projects on your own. You often prefer to learn by trial and error. Effective techniques to enhance your learning include keeping a journal and giving yourself time to reflect on new ideas and information. More ideas: Go on "guided imagery" tours. Set aside time to reflect on new ideas and information. Encourage journal writing. Work on the computer. Practice breathing for relaxation. Use brainstorming methods before reading. Listen to and read "how to" tapes and books. Read cookbooks.  3 Musical: You like the rhythm and sound of language. You like poems, songs, and jingles. You enjoy humming or singing along with music. You probably remember things well when they are associated with music or rhythm. Try to incorporate sounds into your lessons, such as using a familiar tune, song, or rap beat to teach spelling rules, or to remember words in a series for a test. Here are some other ways to use your musical intelligence: Create a poem with an emphasis on certain sounds for pronunciation. Clap out or walk out the sounds of syllables. Read together (choral reading) to work on fluency and intonation. Read a story with great emotion — sad, then happy, then angry. Talk about what changes — is it only tone? Work with words that sound like what they mean (onomatopoeia). For example: sizzle, cuckoo, smash. Read lyrics to music. Use music as background while reviewing and for helping to remember new material. Use rhymes to remember spelling rules, i.e., "I before E except after C."

Motivational strategies

If you press on this link you will find a survey about strategies that teachers use to motivate their students. You mark a tick on the frequency you (as a teacher) apply them in your class: from "hardly ever" to "very often", and on the importance you give to the different statements: from "not important" to "very important".