sábado, 31 de octubre de 2009

Experiences with kids based on the products we have applied

There are some experiences that we want to share. These are related to the modules we already applied.


The first one is related with the Actions song we upload for the first module. It is really nice to see students singing the song and performing it with their groups of friends. They started to sing and they developed the actions alone when the teacher is, for instance, working on the notebooks.

The other one is related with the vocabulary of the classroom they started to name the classroom objects in English, for instance, a kid said to her friend no dejes los pencils ni los colors en la table there are more kids that ask for things from the classroom in English, for example, the scissors as well as the ruler and the eraser.


The last one is related to the comments students did to the teacher during the F2F section for the next module. For instance, a student asked: Miss tenemos tarea del aula virtual? And the teacher answered. Yes, of course why? And the student answered: es que es más fácil hacer tarea en el computador. Me gusta trabajar con mis papitos en el computador y casi no me gusta con el lápiz y las hojitas.

References:

Zambia_kids. [goole online images]. Retrieved on November 1st, 2009 from http://images.google.com.co/images?gbv=2&hl=es&sa=1&q=tots6%5B1%5D.jpg&aq=null&oq=PED2313%5B1%5D.jpg&start=0
.

domingo, 25 de octubre de 2009

The tools

The toos we are using to collect data are:   

1.Classroom observation (Jimenez, 1993. Burns, 1999)
2.Video-recordings (Burns, 1999. Jimenez, 1993)
3.Survey for kids and parents (Richards, 1996. Jimenez, 1993. Burns, 1999)
4.Young learners’ documents
5.Field notes here in this blog (Jimenez, 1993. Shohamy, 2001. Burns, 1999)
6.Tests (Shohamy, 2001. Sagor, 2000. Wallace, 1999)


References

Burns, A. (1999). Collaborative action research for English language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (pp.152-160).


Sagor, R. (2005). The action research guidebook: A four-step process for educators and school teams. California: Corwin Press. (pp.109-136).

Jimenez, S., Marin, M. & Luna, M. (1996). Action Research Guide. COFE Series.

Selinger, H.W & Shohamy, E. (2004). Second language research methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wallace, M. (2006). Action research for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hopkins, D. (2008). A teacher guide to classroom research. Open University Press. (Pp.115-145).

 Amos, J. (2007). Early childhood qualitative research. Routledge. New York.

An example of a module

This is an example of a module we are uploading for our Action Research.

Module 1- I can play!

Dear kids welcome to the first module!
Here you are going to learn a lot and work in an independent way; however, you will need your parents' support and help. We hope you enjoy each activity a lot!

Picture related with the topic: Retrieved October, 14, 2009, from http://oregonstate.edu/research/Images/children.jpg
Resources:
1. Actions Song Recurso: Listen to the song and do the actions with your parents. http://www.angles365.com/classroom/songsci04/fitxers/song71.swf
2. Body Actions Video Recurso: Click on the following link, watch the video and name the
actions that the characters are doing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_rlnQcvIDM
3. Story "The blue cow in the playground" :Recurso Click on the following link, watch and listen to the story
carefully. http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/storymakers/stories/bluecowplayground.shtml
Activities:
1.Reading Comprehension documento Word: http://servicio.sgs.edu.co/moodle/file.php/30/ Blue_cow_reading_worksheet.doc
2.It's time to work! Worksheet No. http://servicio.sgs.edu.co/moodle/file.php/30/Worksheet_1.doc
3.It's time to play! Powerpoint presentation

Survey for parents link : http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=tBtRt2Ki2AQ7RGtuQNKsAA_3d_3d



References

Kidsplayground. [google online images]. Retrieved on November 1st from http://www.behaviortherapyassociates.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/kidsplayground4.JPG

Procedure for modules

October 25th, 2009
Procedure
This is the procedure we are following for every module.

1. Applying the pre-test
2.Introducing the module topic in a F2F session.
3. Uploading a module per week in the platform.
4. Recording the students’ outcomes after they develop every module.
5. Collecting the students’ documents.
6. Providing feedback.
7. Applying the post-test
8. Checking the surveys.
9. Writing field notes.




References

Hi-steps. [google online images]. Retrieved on November 1st, 2009 from http://www.behaviortherapyassociates.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/steps.jpg

jueves, 22 de octubre de 2009

Second module

October 22nd, 2009



The students were organized in the classroom and they were expecting to listen to their teacher and at the same time they were observing me. They asked about my name. The teacher invited to the students to look at the board. There the students observed the windows symbol and some students said that this symbol was the same in their computer when they turned it. The teacher asked to the children who has commuter at home and all of them said that they have computer and they turn the computer. So the teacher asked to the children who turn the computer and 17 of them raised their hands and said that they worked with their parents in the computer and turn the computer alone as well as they shared and watch videos and movies together. Besides some of them said “ asi es como se prende my computador tambien y yo lo prendo solito”.

Most of the kids pointed to the board and whispered in groups. They were motivated waiting what the teacher will show them. Then, the teacher asked them about the virtual homework and they said that they worked in their computer. Then, the teacher click on every link and asked them about the classroom objects and most of them answered correctly to every pictures that the teacher pointed. They answered in chorus and raising their hands shouting..yo…yo se. Moreover, they followed the song order and they answered correctly the questions about the story while the teacher was reinforcing the answers. There were about 3 or 4 students that translate most of the things they listened to from the videos. For example, the video about the teacher and students they performed stand up and sit down.

Finally, the teacher showed them some printed pictures the students brought as part of the homework and she asked them what is this one by one and most of them answered correctly. While the teacher was passing one by one some of the students started to speak and a girl felt nervous given that she was crossing her fingers. The teacher closed the section playing Simon says. She put some realia on the floor and asked student by student to follow a Simon’s order. Students wanted to pass all at the same time and the ones that the teacher chose, followed correctly the order.

References

Classroom. [google online images]. Retrieved November 1st, 2009 from http://images.google.com.co/images?hl=es&source=hp&q=Classroom%5B1%5D.jpg&btnG=Buscar+im%C3%A1genes&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=


Something to highlight from the first module implementation are:

On the one hand, that we are really happy given that in the survey the parents made a comments about the nice experience working on each activity from the first module. For instance, one of them had technological problems with the work sheet to print, so he decided to buy another computer in order to develop the module and to help his child to use this nee way of learning for them. This showed us the parental help and guidance with their children and the role of them using technology resources in the learning process of the children.

Moreover, parents made comments such us : “ Es un aprendizaje ludico” “ con imágenes y sonido es más interesante aprender” “es interactiva y permite el apoyo en casa para aprender más” among others. This made us felt very motivated to create and improve the other modules in order to favor the positive attitude towards the course.

On the other hand, we consider the flexibility, creativity, open mind and reflection during the creation and implementation process very important taking into account the parents and very young learners’ feedback, their reactions, concerns and needs by analyzing the survey parents filled in, the comments from them. For instance, in the action a comment wrote in the survey was about the importance of include easy activities to develop, because the activity in the worksheet was a little difficult. Besides, they had to find in the magazines people making different actions and cut and paste them in the right place. They also had difficulties to find people swinging and sliding. It not only made us to reflect on the ways to improve the activities but also it took us to think every time we create a worksheet if it was easy and accessible to develop or not.

domingo, 18 de octubre de 2009

First module implementation

October 15th, 2009-10-18

First of all it is very important to take into account that before to start the course with thematic modules in the moodle platform, the research teacher had an introductory section, where she explained them about the new tool their children will start to use to help the process of their second language acquisition. According to this experience with parents we can remark that the parents were very motivated given that they share comments related with the new way of teaching, they asked for the password and user name to get in the moodle platform. Moreover, they asked for tips to use the computer with kids and the teacher provided clear instructions step by step to work on every module. Besides, the teacher added that they will find in every model the instructions in Spanish in order to follow the steps in a clearer way. Finally, the parents share with the  teacher researcher their commitment to help and guide their kids in the modern learning space.


Related to the work on the module.
It was a rainy day; every student arrived at the classroom and took a sit. The classroom was spacious and comfortable for kids. This was the second time students visited this room told me the teacher. She was enthusiastic to show what they are going to do in this classroom. Students were anxious and expected to know what they are going to do there given that learners observed around and made comments among them. I listened whispered. The teacher started singing a hello song and they participated actively following the teacher. The teacher introduced the topic showing the students the platform in the video beam. She clicked on the first activity and they watched and listened to the song. The video of the song has a lot of colors and animated pictures. The teacher performed the song during the second time she showed it to the students. Every learner listened carefully and observed the pictures watching the song's video. Then, the teacher invited the girls to perform the song in front of the boys. Girls followed the movements of the song happy because they laughed and express amusement singing and acting the song. Then, the teacher invited to the boys and boys performed the song happily, too. Students raised their hands asking for another performance and they were happy.
The teacher continued with the next activity. The teacher opened a video and asked to their students to watch the video about actions. While they were seeing the video some of the students repeated the sentences from the video. “I think that they were translating the sentences” because they repeat the sentences in Spanish. I saw every student attended happy watching the video. The teacher repeats the action during the second time she passed the video and she asked to the students to repeat the actions and to perform them. Students raised their hands because they want to pass. I listened many times the expression “yo quiero.., yo quiero pasar”. I observed the students walking, jumping etc…. the teacher showed some flashcards without color and asks them about the action every flashcard has. Most of the students answered in Spanish. There were two students that answered in English. The teacher give the opportunity in groups of three to choose the favorite flashcard. They choose one and started to color it. Students were concentrated coloring and using different colors. When the teacher asked them to stop coloring, they did not want to stop, they said that they wanted to continue coloring, so the teacher explain them that they will finish in other opportunity. I see every student left the classroom and the class was over.

What could the ABC means

Students motivation
Students’ positive attitude towards foreign language
Students interest towards technology




Something happened….


Our tutors told us that they will observe a class to know how we are including our Action Research Project in our classroom daily activities. So, we planned the date for the observation. It was for October the first, 2009 but for events at school we canceled the date and we postpone the date for October the 15th at 7:30th. This day was terrible because at the morning was raining so our tutors called us that they could not arrive because of the traffic jam and the rain they could not took a taxi. So, they suggested us to record the class.



Finally, we gave to one of our tutors the video about the class.

References

WELCOME

You are going to find the progress of our project reading the Field notes of our Action Research.
Any comment, suggestions etc. are always welcome!!!! We hope to get success in our Action Research Project as well as learn a lot developing this experience. 



References
Escribiendo. [google online images] Retrieved on November 1st, 2009 from http://elespejopintado.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/escribiendo.jpg

sábado, 17 de octubre de 2009

Tutor’s assignation

October 17th, 2009

At the beginning of the third semester the university assigned us the tutor to guide our Action Research Project. She asked us for the final paper we did during the second semester. So, we gave it and after a LASAM class, we asked her about our proposal. She told us that she had many questions about it. So, that night we started to work with our tutor using skype. In the first section, we spent more than 2 hours working on the idea that we had for our Action Research project. It was difficult because she needed to see the meaning of the virtual classroom. So, we decided to plan the F2F section to make some changes.
So, we started to plan the F2F meeting but we had a lot of problems. The first date we went to the university but she had to cancel the tutorial because of a meeting; however, she spent 15 minutes to clarify the meaning of virtual classroom. she claryfied that it was a moodle platform. After that, she gave us another date to have a F2F tutorial; but, that one was canceled because she was not in Bogotá. During the week (October, 5th-9th, 2009) she sent us by mail some readings about the early literacy and she suggested us to read them to change the title and the question of the research. During the recess week we read some of them and the meeting that was planned for that week was canceled because we were in a field trip with some students of the school. Fortunately, the last Tuesday, October the 13th, 2009 we finally met at the University.
During this section she gave us feedback about the last AR paper that we did last semester. She explained us the changes that we had to do such us the research question, to modify the theoretical framework, to check another bibliography etc...



So, we started to work on the suggested changes. We wrote three possible questions:


1. What are the effects of the creation of a noodle course to develop early literacy in terms of vocabulary in four five years old students?

2. How can the creation of a module course foster /encourage four five years old to develop early literacy in terms of vocabulary?

3. How can the creation of a noodle course influence four five years old to develop early literacy in terms of vocabulary?

We sent them to the tutor by mail. Then, in a skype section we discussed about them and finally we got the new question: “What will be the effects of the creation of virtual course for independent work on early literacy development of four year olds? However, she emphasized that we had to continue working on that. After that, thinking about implementation and the suggestions from the tutor, we designed the first module.


Resources

Woman meeting. [Google online images]. Retrieved on November 1st, 2009 from http://www.sendgirlstoschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/women-meeting.jpg