these Posts are from my previous blog which is NO LONGER IN USE. From now on I will write in here cLearning. I didn´t want to trush what I wrote and I didn´t want to make a link to the there (it´s too confusing for me).
15.8.2012
I met in skype my working group. They seems very nice
people and I am glad cause they helped me so much to understand what it was
going on....We had anyway to call Juha, our tutor and figure out how a
presentation will be. It´s good to use Optima and I think it´s pretty handy
platform to use.
Juha suggested to read a pdf document in Optima. It
seems that we have to focus our presentation on Learning theories and different
kinds of learners. I am going to make a research on the Learning theories...let´s
see if I can still deal with philosophy. ;)
13.8.2012
I am looking forward to start my work. I know already
that I will meet 3 completely new classes this year. 2 classes of beginners and
one class of cooking. Actually this cooking class are most of them my students
but from different courses and contest so I have to build a group again.
Building the group is one of the most important thing
for me and it´s important that I succeed: without a group there is no
class. In Finland people are shy and they don´t immediately make a contact with
other people even though my courses are for adults and are taken as hobbies.
Most of my first days I spend to brake the ice. I usually
use technique published in www.salto-youth.net. There I find a lot
of resources. When the course start it takes normally from 3 to 4 times before
I say - ok I have now the group. Once I have "destroyed" their walls
against other people throught group work, pair work and jokes I start to see
better what kind of person I have in front of me.
I usually ask them:
- if they study before any languages
- why they want to learn Italian
- have they ever been in Italy
- did they study before Italian
- what is the best way to learn a language
the last question I guess is related to the topics of
this DP and most of the time people are answering same way...listen the teacher
and make homework.
They are expecting me to fill their head
with information and eventually they learn by doing exercises (by the
way grammar exercises) at home.....
that´s the moment when I say that grammar won´t be
necessary our topics here: we have also to learn culture, gestures, vocabulary,
listening etc etc.....they look at me relief - at least most of them - and so I
can start.
Rule number 1: if you are tired don´t come to the
class. I prefer you stay home and come when you are ready
to participate to the activities of the class.
Rule number 2: at the end of the course you need to
know at least all the names of your classmates...so make contact with them!
Rule number 3: we learn a language cause we want to
speak: if you mistake is NOT the end of the world.
Rule number 4: enjoy during this class: it ´s
your hobby >>> your doctor didn´t order you to come here.
I understand that are different learners. I try during
my class to give each of them something that help them to learn better. It´s
not always easy, I hope the new students will understand my way of teaching.
10.8.2012
it´s 8:44 p.m : my husband is watching TV next to
me and my child is running around the house.I am trying
to concentrate and I wish next house has at least two more rooms so
that everybody ESPECIALLY ME has own space. This week has been hard. I
lost my god father. He was close to me even though I live 3000 kms away. Again
- I won´t attend his funeral. I have no money and plenty work to do.
I am sure he will understand. My work is approaching as so is the Virtual
Presentation in AC: on 15.8 we will have a meeting with my group of Marsian in
skype. I wrote severals emails and left messages in forum three days ago: I
hope some of them soon will answer me. The idea of the group working is
stimulating but also quite difficult to make when you leave far away. In add
this virtual session about TUTORING and LEARNING the difficulty for me is to
make an internet presentation but same time interactive
and interesting for the listeners Everything is new for
me: the people, the system and the contest.
My courses are also approaching: yesterday started the
enroll to the Oulunsalo and Kempele Comunity Colleges. Now it starts this kind
of period that I don´t know how many course I have. The Oulunsalo Comunity
College belongs now to Oulu area so the minimum
of participants raised from 8 to 10. In same subjects - like
minority languages such as Italian - sometimes is difficult to collect 10
people interested to learn Italian even in
large community such as Oulunsalo. For sure, at the moment I have
Italian 4, Italian 1 and the Italian food class. I started this post trying to
think and following the guide line posted in our Optima
studies environment:
- THE INDIVIDUALITY OF LEARNING
- MY PERSONAL LEARNING HISTORY
- MEY LEARNING STYLE(S) AND VIRTUAL STUDIES
-EVERYDAY THINGS THAT MAKE A TEACHER
-MY VIEW OF LEARNING
-HOW THE CV DIRECTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDIES
- WHAT METHODS OF ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION WILL I USE
-HOW DO I USE TECNOLOGY IN MY FIELD OF PEDAGOGY
- ANALYSIS OF MY COMPETENCES IN TEACHING
I never ask myself those questions and I think that
now when I start to work again they will find an answer.
9.7.2012
I am going to follow also their idea how to write but
using the directions that my tutors gave me.
I had already on my mind the map how to build it
before look at this web site. But let´s say this way: gave me tips on what to
write about and what not write.
7.7.2012
I still feel sorry that I couldn´t partecipate to the
Starting Day and didn´t have possibility to meet my class mates and gets
inspired by them.
I like the idea of sharing ideas and methods: I have
been missing those lately so much.
I have been changing my blog pages already three
times. This is my decision. I will keep this one.
As soon as possible I am going to change the addresse
also in Optima.
Create this blog hasn´t be easy at all: I have to
figure out first what kind of blog, I wanted what it suites for me. I like when
the web sites are well organize and it easy to find things. I hope this is
suitable and clear first for me - cause should help me to understand afterwords
the develop what I made -but also for the person who is going to evaluate this
work. I hope I will get many critics and advices sio that I can improve this
path and going to the right direction.
