LET'S MAKE OUR OWN MOBILE PHONE!!!!

This term, students of the 3rd year group are working in a project in collaboration with the subject of technology.

We are learning new vocabulary about technologies, apps and appliances through different texts in our English classroom, so we thought it'd be a good idea to create something in order to put in practice these new concepts.

Image http://www.motionelements.com

After sharing our ideas with our technology mate, we decided to make a project in which our students will invent their own mobile phones at the same time they study and practice vocabulary and expressions about this topic.

Students will work with different materials and they'll have to improve a basic mobile model with apps and tools which will be invented or created. This part of the project will be developed in the technology classroom. The teacher will help students along the whole process.

Once they have finished their designs, they'll show them to their classmates together with a brief oral exposition about their functions and apps.

Then, students will produce a piece of writing in which they'll explain the whole process and basic information about the invention of the mobile phone, which they have previously searched in the Internet.

These two last tasks will be part of the evaluation which will be done according to the following rubric:

ORAL EXPRESSION
AREAS	ITEMS	DESCRIPTION	Always	Sometimes	Never
APPROPRIACY	Communication	Use their L2 knowledge to be understandable	2	1	0
	Interaction	Understand the questions and answer coherently. Provide and extend the information required.	2	1	0
ACCURACY	Grammar	Use the grammar structures with precision. (adj, past, future, etc.)	2	1	0
	Vocabulary	Show varied vocabulary and use it appropriately	2	1	0
FLUENCY	Pronunciation Intonation Volume	Clarity, intonation, and appropriate volumen.	1	0.5	0
	Fluency	They express themselves without hesitation, in a coherent and appropriate way according to the communicative situation.	1	0.5	0

WRITTEN EXPRESSION
AREAS	ITEMS		Always	Sometimes	Never
HANDWRITING	Clarity to facilitate reading		2	1	0
GRAMMAR	Word Order		1	0.5	0
	Verbal Tenses		1	0.5	0
	Appropriate use of pronouns, prepositions, auxiliary verbs, etc.		1	0.5	0
	Appropriate use of linking words		1	0.5	0
SPELLING	Correct spelling in words		2	1	0
PUNCTUATION	Appropriate use of punctuation signs		1	0.5	0
	Appropriate separation in sentences and paragraphs		1	0.5	0

With this cooperative project we have managed to work within interdisciplinarity and motivate students. Moreover, they have acquired the specific contents and achieved the main objectives in both subjects.

INSTAGRAM TIPS

Last week, I started to put into a new idea in order to help students remember some basic and useful things they've been learning along school years.

I wanted to spread it as much as possible, so I thought I should use a popular social net, which students like, to publish this kind of post.

Instagram came quickly to me, so I began to publish a daily tip for my students with interesting pieces of information.

They follow my profile at Instagram, so one of the first thing they see in the morning when they get up and check their social nets is my tip about English language.

Image from https://www.zanebenefits.com

A SHORT FILM FESTIVAL AT SCHOOL

Our English Language Department has planned a new project for students of all groups in this 3rd term:

A SHORT FILM FESTIVAL.

Its core idea will be BULLYING and it will be part of the evaluation of the term. We have chosen this central concept due to the social impact it has on our students.

To start with we'll see the following video in the classroom in order to expose our students to the main idea:

It is a song written and sang by a boy who suffered from bullying when he was younger. He participated in the British TV Show "Got Talent".

Then, students will have to record short films about this topic. There are some requirements to be observed:

• Short films will last between 2.5 and 5 minutes.
• All students in the group have to play a role on it.
• They have to use English for dialogues and introductions.
• They can use any available app / format / resource  to record it.
• Films have to original and without copying.

After recording the short films, student groups will present them in classroom and they will be evaluated according to the items indicated below.

Source of the image: https://breakingmuscle.com

FORMAL ASPECTS

According to the current regulations, we can specify the following formal aspects in this project:

STAGE OBJECTIVES (CD 1105/2014)

a) To assume one’s obligations in a responsible manner, to be aware of and exercise one’s rights with respectful attitude towards other people, to show tolerance, a spirit of cooperation and solidarity with people and groups, to use communication, reinforcing human rights as common values of a plural society and prepare oneself to be part of a democratic citizenship.

c) To value and respect differences between sexes and equal equality of rights and opportunities. To reject stereotypes which imply discrimination between men and women.

d) To reinforce one’s affective capacities in all aspects of one’s personality and one’s relationship with others, and reject violence, all types of prejudice and sexist behaviour, and resolve conflicts peacefully.

e) To develop basic skills in the use of sources of information so as to critically acquire knowledge. To acquire a basic preparation in the field of technology, especially those aspects related to information and communication.

i) To understand and express oneself in one or more foreign languages in an appropriate manner.

j) To know, value and show respect towards both their own and other countries’ culture, history and artistic manifestations.

l) To appreciate artistic creativity and understand the language of the different artistic manifestations, using different means of expression and representation.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES 

●To understand specific information orally in different communicative situations, being respectful and showing a cooperative attitude.

● To interact in varied communicative situations using dialogues in a comprehensible and appropriate manner.

● To use in a correct manner all the components of the foreign language in real communicative contexts, developing learning autonomy and reflecting upon their own learning process through the use of communicative strategies.

● To acquire the ability to work in a cooperative way, rejecting any type of stereotypes and prejudices.

●To use information and computer technologies in a useful manner with the main goal of presenting oral and written the information obtained in the foreign language.

KEY COMPETENCES (Order ECD/65/2015)

1) Linguistic communication: This project contributes in an obvious way to the development of competence to communicate in a foreign language. It also contributes to a constant reflection upon the use of the mother tongue through comparisons between the foreign language and the first language, especially when working on language awareness. 

3) Digital competence: The extensive use made of new technologies contributes to the development of this competence through the use of computers to make the project, searching information, etc.

4) Learning to learn: Through this project students will improve abilities to study, grasp, retain and use new concepts. 

5) Social and civic competence: This project will help students to reflect on our values and culture within society and to improve their attitude towards other people.

6) Competence in personal autonomy and initiative, as well as in entrepreneurship:  Students are encouraged to establish their own resources for making the film, and also to discover the benefits of cooperative work. Autonomous learning in the future does not mean solitary learning and this is the message we try to promote this year through common projects in class and at home. 

Source of image: http://vidyasury.com

VALUES (Art. 39, LEA)

It is established that it is part of the school’s commitment to help make students more rounded individuals, better able to take their place as fully-functioning members of society. Thus, this project pays attention to values which cross the spectrum of subjects, such as equality of opportunity of sexes. So we'll work with ideas such as group tasks, role acquisition, and mixing boys and girls in all group activities. 

Resource image: http://www.freepik.com

RESOURCES 

Students can use any material or resource they think is useful for making and recording their films. However, we can always recommend them some ideas about apps to be used to edit their recordings:

https://www.genial.ly/es, https://www.canva.com/,https://www.smore.com/, http://amaze.org/.

Resource of image: http://teacherssos.blogspot.com.es

GROUPING

Students can form groups of 3 or 4 max. They have to specify the different roles to be developed. However, we, as teachers and facilitators of the activity, should try to supervise that all students have a clear role and that levels are mixed in each group, so we can attend diversity also in this activity.

For more information about how to form groups visit http://teacherssos.blogspot.com.es/2012/10/grouping-students.html.

EVALUATION

We will use the rubric above to evaluate the whole project and its oral presentation in the classroom.

Source of image: http://www.icytales.com/and-the-winner-is/

In June, a group of teachers will form the panel of judges and after watching all the short films, they'll choose the three best ones. All of them will have prizes given by the school.

After, the best film will be pointed by this panel of judges and given a special prize.   Finally, it will be shown in the graduation ceremony at the end of June.