Reflections on homeschooling, technology ,covid-19 , self-asolation and the consequences on teachers' mental health
Nowadays, teachers must face many challenges, not only learning about technology and its different and useful resources , but also dealing with the demands of our several grades/courses and not finish in a mental insane hospital.
First of all, as teachers, we have to manage our discipline, be skillfull , innovative and funny up to the arrival of the lethal virus known us covid-19. Thanks to the pandemics, apart of teachers , we are now counsellors, secretaries, psychologists and whatever you want. We must always be polite in our daily lives even though when we are sending-answering -texting the WhatsApp text number 99 in our cell phone , reading endless e- mails or correcting hundreds of spelling mistakes in a paper. As if we were machines , we have to solve everybody´s problems as soon as possible and most of us try to do it in that way...
And what about people's reactions towards those teachers?? Do they know that we have got feelings? Do they know that we also like being well-treated?? Do they know that we also need a kind of reward when things go well? We have also got self-esteem and we need friendly advice and comments because after all we are human beings and we are doing our best to solve many problems related do self-asolation, homeschooling and technology.
In addition, the hardest task is neither teaching our students through ICT resources nor exchanging knowledge or help with our peers. I think the hardest one is understanding some of our authorities, i.e., from the government and , consequently, from each of our school headmasters. It seems as if the only way to show their power is to ill-treat all around them.
To sum up, I believe that covid-19 and self-asolation takes out the worst of our deepest feelings that we try to hide in our daily lives but I think we should be more empathic with neighbours
viernes, 3 de abril de 2020
jueves, 28 de junio de 2012
Comparing Education and Medicine Research Articles
According to the American Psychological Association (APA) (2010), Research Articles (RAs) are documents undertaken by researchers which are divided into different sections: Title, Abstracts, Acknowledgements, Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussions, Recommendations, References and Appendixes. The purpose of the present study is to analyze and compare different sections of two articles in the education and medicine fields.
According to Swales and Feak (1994), researchers write their introductions using organizational patterns which contain moves or cycles. Introductions are composed of three moves which go from the general topic to a particular situation, i.e., creating a research paper, establishing a niche and occupying it. Regarding the introduction of both RAs, the three moves are present as part of the organizational patterns.
On the one hand, Sun and Chang (2010) refer to blogs as one of the best received applications in the Web 2.0 era which have changed the different uses of internet. In other words, they refer to what has been done showing that the research in this subject is important; considering this Move 1.
On the other hand, Aaby et al. (2009) refer to the impact of a vaccine on mortality which is proportional to the vaccine’s efficacy and the contributions of the target disease to overall mortality. All in all, they might show relevance for the study and introduce research in the area; considering this Move 1.
Both articles may establish a niche and indicate the gap that has been found in the area, in that way, they are referring to Move 2. Sun and Chang (2010) argue that the use of first personal pronouns which represents visible affirmation of one’s role in their written discourse- between writers and L2 (Language 2) Hong Kong undergraduate novice writers, it was found a clear avoidance of first personal pronouns among L2 (Language 2) writers when making arguments or claims.
Aaby et al. (2009) claim that “Though some studies have documented that PPD (tuberculin purified protein derivative or Mantoux test) and scar reactions get larger with revaccination, others have found no effect of revaccination on protection against pulmonary tuberculosis but found that it might improve protection against leprosy” (p.2). To sum up, in both articles researchers present their motivation for the study, indicate the gap that has been found in the area, raise questions about the situation and expand previous knowledge.
Both articles state the nature of the present papers and outline the purposes; in that way, they are referring to Move 3. Sun and Chang (2010) show how useful is to keep blogs through the process of collaborative dialogues for learning about academic writing as well as academic identities and construction of authorship, whereas Aaby et al. (2009) make emphasis on whether revaccination with BCG is associated with a reduction in childhood mortality through a randomized trial.
As regards the analysis of the methods sections, Sun and Chang (2010) include participants, procedures and data analysis subsections. These three subsections are typed at the left margin and the mostly used tense is past passive voice. A large part of the data collected through descriptive statistics consists mainly of qualitative evidence. Table 1 illustrates the language used by the participants in their blogs in the procedures subsection (Sun & Chang, 2010, p.47).
Aaby et al. (2009) introduce participants subsection and intervention and main outcome measure as subtitles at the start of the section. The methods section is divided into participants, materials and procedures subsections and into different subtitles such as explorative and statistical analyses. The subtitles are typed at the left margin and the mostly used tense is past passive voice, but it is possible to find present passive. The data collected is illustrated through hazard ratios for mortality. Tables and figures showing mortality curves and rates are also illustrated (Aaby et al., 2009, pp 3-6).
All in all, a comparison between both study researchers based on the education and medicine fields is established in which the three moves could be well described in the present paper. Considering the analysis of the methods sections, participants, materials and procedures might be well analyzed in each of the study researchers.
This research paper may attract readers´attention because it establishes the main points between two different articles which make emphasis on different fields. It seems that on the one hand, Sun and Chang (2010) through their Research Article (RA) demonstrate the usefulness of collaborative dialogues on blogs for learners to become EFL academic writers. On the other hand, Aaby et al. (2009) analyze how profitable is the effect of revaccination with BCG in early childhood on mortality.
References
American Psychological Association (2010). APA formatting and style guide. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/0.
Aaby,P., Lisse, I., Ravn, H., Rodrigues, A., Roth, A., Stabell Ben, C., Whittle, H., & Yazdanbakhsh, M. (2009). Effect of revaccination with BCG in early childhood on mortality: Randomized trial in Guinea- Bissau. Retrieved June 2012, from http://bmj2010;340:c677
Chang, Y. & Sun, Y. (2012). Language Learning & Technology: Blogging to Learn:
Becoming EFL Academic Writers Through Collaborative Dialogues, vol. 16, nº 1.
Retrieved June 2012, from http://llt.msu.edu/issues/february2012/sunchang.pdpd
Sun, Y., & Chang, Y. (2010). When technology speaks language: An evaluation of the use of course management systems in content-specific contexts. ReCALL, 22 (3), 332–355.
Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. B. (1994). Academic writing for graduate students: Essential tasks and skills. Ann Harbor, MI: The University if Michigan Press.
According to Swales and Feak (1994), researchers write their introductions using organizational patterns which contain moves or cycles. Introductions are composed of three moves which go from the general topic to a particular situation, i.e., creating a research paper, establishing a niche and occupying it. Regarding the introduction of both RAs, the three moves are present as part of the organizational patterns.
On the one hand, Sun and Chang (2010) refer to blogs as one of the best received applications in the Web 2.0 era which have changed the different uses of internet. In other words, they refer to what has been done showing that the research in this subject is important; considering this Move 1.
On the other hand, Aaby et al. (2009) refer to the impact of a vaccine on mortality which is proportional to the vaccine’s efficacy and the contributions of the target disease to overall mortality. All in all, they might show relevance for the study and introduce research in the area; considering this Move 1.
Both articles may establish a niche and indicate the gap that has been found in the area, in that way, they are referring to Move 2. Sun and Chang (2010) argue that the use of first personal pronouns which represents visible affirmation of one’s role in their written discourse- between writers and L2 (Language 2) Hong Kong undergraduate novice writers, it was found a clear avoidance of first personal pronouns among L2 (Language 2) writers when making arguments or claims.
Aaby et al. (2009) claim that “Though some studies have documented that PPD (tuberculin purified protein derivative or Mantoux test) and scar reactions get larger with revaccination, others have found no effect of revaccination on protection against pulmonary tuberculosis but found that it might improve protection against leprosy” (p.2). To sum up, in both articles researchers present their motivation for the study, indicate the gap that has been found in the area, raise questions about the situation and expand previous knowledge.
Both articles state the nature of the present papers and outline the purposes; in that way, they are referring to Move 3. Sun and Chang (2010) show how useful is to keep blogs through the process of collaborative dialogues for learning about academic writing as well as academic identities and construction of authorship, whereas Aaby et al. (2009) make emphasis on whether revaccination with BCG is associated with a reduction in childhood mortality through a randomized trial.
As regards the analysis of the methods sections, Sun and Chang (2010) include participants, procedures and data analysis subsections. These three subsections are typed at the left margin and the mostly used tense is past passive voice. A large part of the data collected through descriptive statistics consists mainly of qualitative evidence. Table 1 illustrates the language used by the participants in their blogs in the procedures subsection (Sun & Chang, 2010, p.47).
Aaby et al. (2009) introduce participants subsection and intervention and main outcome measure as subtitles at the start of the section. The methods section is divided into participants, materials and procedures subsections and into different subtitles such as explorative and statistical analyses. The subtitles are typed at the left margin and the mostly used tense is past passive voice, but it is possible to find present passive. The data collected is illustrated through hazard ratios for mortality. Tables and figures showing mortality curves and rates are also illustrated (Aaby et al., 2009, pp 3-6).
All in all, a comparison between both study researchers based on the education and medicine fields is established in which the three moves could be well described in the present paper. Considering the analysis of the methods sections, participants, materials and procedures might be well analyzed in each of the study researchers.
This research paper may attract readers´attention because it establishes the main points between two different articles which make emphasis on different fields. It seems that on the one hand, Sun and Chang (2010) through their Research Article (RA) demonstrate the usefulness of collaborative dialogues on blogs for learners to become EFL academic writers. On the other hand, Aaby et al. (2009) analyze how profitable is the effect of revaccination with BCG in early childhood on mortality.
References
American Psychological Association (2010). APA formatting and style guide. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/0.
Aaby,P., Lisse, I., Ravn, H., Rodrigues, A., Roth, A., Stabell Ben, C., Whittle, H., & Yazdanbakhsh, M. (2009). Effect of revaccination with BCG in early childhood on mortality: Randomized trial in Guinea- Bissau. Retrieved June 2012, from http://bmj2010;340:c677
Chang, Y. & Sun, Y. (2012). Language Learning & Technology: Blogging to Learn:
Becoming EFL Academic Writers Through Collaborative Dialogues, vol. 16, nº 1.
Retrieved June 2012, from http://llt.msu.edu/issues/february2012/sunchang.pdpd
Sun, Y., & Chang, Y. (2010). When technology speaks language: An evaluation of the use of course management systems in content-specific contexts. ReCALL, 22 (3), 332–355.
Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. B. (1994). Academic writing for graduate students: Essential tasks and skills. Ann Harbor, MI: The University if Michigan Press.
The Importance of Abstracts in the Academic Writing
An abstract is considered a formal summary which transmits clear, accurate and concise information. The abstract is typed in a separate page and inserted between the title and the first page of a paper. Hubbuch (1996) defines abstracts “as brief summaries of the major points made by an author in a book or article” (p.126). The aim of the present study is to analyze and compare different abstracts of different articles from medicine and education fields.
Abstracts are divided into different sections: Introduction/background or Study design/objective, Materials and Methods, Results and Conclusions. According to Swales and Feak (1994), abstracts can be classified as the one included at the beginning of a paper and conferences abstracts. There are other types of abstracts: informative, indicative, unstructured or structured (Swales & Feak, 1994; Swales, 1990).
On the one hand, in the articles based on the medicine field, Gotzsche, Jorgensen and Zahl (2009) and Austin et al. (2009) introduce informative abstracts since they describe what the researchers did and provide readers with the main findings based on heavy data. Unstructured abstracts are also introduced because they consist of one long, unbroken paragraph.
On the other hand, in the articles based upon the education field, Rammal (2006) and King (2002) present indicative abstracts which describe what the researchers intend to do and indicate what kind of research has been done. Structured abstracts are also presented which contain bolded or italicized headings.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA) (2008), there are five levels of headings which organize hierarchy the presentation of the information in a document to orient the reader. The heading structure is divided into sections; each one follows a top –down progression from the highest level of heading in order to outline a paper.
Gotzsche, Jorgensen and Zahl (2009) present the Results and the Discussion sections with three subheadings whereas Austin et al. (2009) introduce two subheadings in the Methods and Discussions sections. Rammal (2006) divides one of the sections into four subheadings whereas King (2002) divides a section into two subheadings.
Broadly speaking, the four abstracts analysed in the present paper may be brief and accurate and they might contain specific data on their specialized field, that is to say, medicine and education. They are the most important paragraphs in each journal and they are written in scientific prose which is used in academic documents.
In the articles based upon the medicine field, the primary audience might be any reader in the field, since the abstracts include heavy data and describe what researchers did. In fact, Gotzsche, Jorgensen and Zahl (2009) describe what researchers did in order to determine breast cancer mortality in organised mammography screening in Denmark whereas Austin et al. (2009) describe what researchers did in order to determine the association of non-invasive cardiac stress testing before elective major non-cardiac surgery.
In the articles based upon the education field, the primary audience might be conference reviewers since the abstracts do not include specific results and describe what the researchers intend to do. To put it another way, Rammal (2006) intends to provide teachers of English as Foreign Language (EFL) with teaching methods which may be implemented in the classroom whereas King (2002) ) intends to provide teachers of English as Foreign Language (EFL) with pedagogical options dealing with the use of DVD feature films in the classroom.
All in all, the four abstracts do not include evaluative language since summary writers should avoid temptation, i.e., they should not include personal subject language which evaluates the sources. They are objective since personal opinions are not included and the authors’ main ideas are reported. As Reid (1994) states “The function of the conclusion is for the summary writer to restate the original conclusions found in the article.”
References
American Psychological Association (2008). Publication Manual (5th ed.). Washington, DC: British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.
Austin, P. C., Beattie, W. S., Elliot, R. F., Hux, J. E., Laupacis, A., & Wijeysundera, D. N. (2009). Non-invasive cardiac stress testing before elective major non-cardiac surgery: population based cohort study.
Retrieved June 2012, from http://bmj2010;340:b5526
Gotzsche, P. C., Jorgensen, K, J., & Zahl, P. H. (2009). Breast cancer mortality in organised mammography screening in Denmark: comparative study.
Retrieved June 2012, from http://bmj2010;340:c124
Hubbuch, S. M. (1996). Writing research papers across the curriculum. (4th ed.). Harcourt Brace: Fort Worth, TX.
King, J. (2002). Using DVD feature films in the EFL classroom. The weekly column. [Abstract]. Retrieved June 2011, from http://www.eltnewsletter.com/back/February2002/art882002.ht
Ramal, S. (2006). Video in the EFL classroom. Retrieved June 2011, from http://www.usingenglish.com/articles/video-in-efl-classrooms.htm
Reid, J. M. (1994). The process of paragraph writing (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents.
Swales, J.M. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. (Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Swales, J.M., & Feak, C.B. (1994). Academic writing for graduate students: Essential tasks and skills. Ann Harbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press.
Abstracts are divided into different sections: Introduction/background or Study design/objective, Materials and Methods, Results and Conclusions. According to Swales and Feak (1994), abstracts can be classified as the one included at the beginning of a paper and conferences abstracts. There are other types of abstracts: informative, indicative, unstructured or structured (Swales & Feak, 1994; Swales, 1990).
On the one hand, in the articles based on the medicine field, Gotzsche, Jorgensen and Zahl (2009) and Austin et al. (2009) introduce informative abstracts since they describe what the researchers did and provide readers with the main findings based on heavy data. Unstructured abstracts are also introduced because they consist of one long, unbroken paragraph.
On the other hand, in the articles based upon the education field, Rammal (2006) and King (2002) present indicative abstracts which describe what the researchers intend to do and indicate what kind of research has been done. Structured abstracts are also presented which contain bolded or italicized headings.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA) (2008), there are five levels of headings which organize hierarchy the presentation of the information in a document to orient the reader. The heading structure is divided into sections; each one follows a top –down progression from the highest level of heading in order to outline a paper.
Gotzsche, Jorgensen and Zahl (2009) present the Results and the Discussion sections with three subheadings whereas Austin et al. (2009) introduce two subheadings in the Methods and Discussions sections. Rammal (2006) divides one of the sections into four subheadings whereas King (2002) divides a section into two subheadings.
Broadly speaking, the four abstracts analysed in the present paper may be brief and accurate and they might contain specific data on their specialized field, that is to say, medicine and education. They are the most important paragraphs in each journal and they are written in scientific prose which is used in academic documents.
In the articles based upon the medicine field, the primary audience might be any reader in the field, since the abstracts include heavy data and describe what researchers did. In fact, Gotzsche, Jorgensen and Zahl (2009) describe what researchers did in order to determine breast cancer mortality in organised mammography screening in Denmark whereas Austin et al. (2009) describe what researchers did in order to determine the association of non-invasive cardiac stress testing before elective major non-cardiac surgery.
In the articles based upon the education field, the primary audience might be conference reviewers since the abstracts do not include specific results and describe what the researchers intend to do. To put it another way, Rammal (2006) intends to provide teachers of English as Foreign Language (EFL) with teaching methods which may be implemented in the classroom whereas King (2002) ) intends to provide teachers of English as Foreign Language (EFL) with pedagogical options dealing with the use of DVD feature films in the classroom.
All in all, the four abstracts do not include evaluative language since summary writers should avoid temptation, i.e., they should not include personal subject language which evaluates the sources. They are objective since personal opinions are not included and the authors’ main ideas are reported. As Reid (1994) states “The function of the conclusion is for the summary writer to restate the original conclusions found in the article.”
References
American Psychological Association (2008). Publication Manual (5th ed.). Washington, DC: British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.
Austin, P. C., Beattie, W. S., Elliot, R. F., Hux, J. E., Laupacis, A., & Wijeysundera, D. N. (2009). Non-invasive cardiac stress testing before elective major non-cardiac surgery: population based cohort study.
Retrieved June 2012, from http://bmj2010;340:b5526
Gotzsche, P. C., Jorgensen, K, J., & Zahl, P. H. (2009). Breast cancer mortality in organised mammography screening in Denmark: comparative study.
Retrieved June 2012, from http://bmj2010;340:c124
Hubbuch, S. M. (1996). Writing research papers across the curriculum. (4th ed.). Harcourt Brace: Fort Worth, TX.
King, J. (2002). Using DVD feature films in the EFL classroom. The weekly column. [Abstract]. Retrieved June 2011, from http://www.eltnewsletter.com/back/February2002/art882002.ht
Ramal, S. (2006). Video in the EFL classroom. Retrieved June 2011, from http://www.usingenglish.com/articles/video-in-efl-classrooms.htm
Reid, J. M. (1994). The process of paragraph writing (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents.
Swales, J.M. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. (Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Swales, J.M., & Feak, C.B. (1994). Academic writing for graduate students: Essential tasks and skills. Ann Harbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press.
lunes, 4 de junio de 2012
Analyzing and Comparing Specific Sections in Articles
To start with, Research Papers (RPs) are concerned not only with
introduction and methods sections but also results, discussions and conclusions
sections. The present study deals with the analysis and comparison of the last
three sections taking into account the characteristics of two articles in the
education and medicine field through a comparative analysis.
On the one hand, in the Action Research (AR) on education the results
were described and discussed in the same section. Barrs (2010) analyzed the
results in two periods. Whereas the former described the initial stage of the Action
Research (AR) based on a research question and how the data was collected
through tables, the latter considered the initial hypothesis in order to take
action, observe and reflect on the results achieved.
On the other hand, in the article on medicine the results section was
written isolated from the discussed section. Aspelund et al (2010) analyzed the
results through three subtitles: Baseline Associations, Hazard Ratios with
Disease Outcomes and Chronic Kidney Disease and Coronary Heart Disease Risk Prediction.
In this case, results were shown through tables and figures which provided
quantitative information to the reader.
According to Swales (1998), tables and or/figures reflect the data
collected with text which should be logically ordered. Barrs (2010) formulated
a research question and presented the data collected through a text and the
illustration of five tables in the first period of Action Research (AR). As
shown in Tables 1-3, the results were the students’ postings and replies on a
forum platform during a four-week programme. Some results were based on data
associated with the reasons for the low number of replies to posts through a
post project questionnaire (see Table 4) and other results were related to
students’ needs for more help with using the forum platform (Table 5). The
outcomes that are related to question(s) or hypotheses of the paper are described
in the results section. During the second period and after the data collection
of the pilot investigation, Barrs (2010) generated a research hypothesis and
the responses were associated with the total number of students´ postings,
replies and a breakdown of the type of replies (Tables 6-8).
The main findings of the research are shown in the results section
without interpreting their meanings.
Aspelund et al (2010) presented the data collected through a text,
tables and figures. Swales (1998) explains that researchers use text to state
the results collected. As shown in Table 2, the results were related to
demographic and clinical baseline characteristics by chronic kidney disease
(CKD) status. Some results were connected with the associations of renal
function with coronary heart disease and non-vascular mortality (see Table 3)
and other results were based on hazard ratios of renal function and risk of
coronary heart disease and non-vascular mortality (Figure 1). As shown in
Figure 2, the results were associated with hazard ratios on risk of vascular
and non-vascular outcomes in people with chronic kidney disease compared to
people without chronic kidney disease.
According to Barrs (2010), “ an Action Research (AR) project was
initiated with a Computer- Mediated Communication (CMC) programme being
implemented during an eight-week summer vacation period, in order to provide a
platform for students to interact in the target language outside of class”
(p.10). The first period involves a pilot investigation based on a four-week
project in which the results reveal that lack of time, interest in the
discussion topic and general interactional problems with the forum platform
contributed to the low amount of interaction on the site. The second period is
related to the findings from the initial investigation. Taking into
consideration the results from the first period, there is a large amount of
target language interaction during the eight –week summer vacation.
According to Aspelund et al (2010), the research discusses the associations
of chronic kidney disease stages with major cardiovascular disease and
non-vascular mortality in the general adult population. Results reveal that
even the earliest stages of chronic kidney disease are associated with higher
risk of coronary heart disease for people without manifest vascular disease and
that advanced stages are associated with non-vascular mortality, particularly
deaths from causes other than cancer. Aspelund et al (2010) discuss “(…)
assessment of chronic kidney disease (…) improves prediction of risk for
coronary heart disease in this population” (p.1).
All in all, a comparison between both study researchers based on
education and medicine is established in which the Results, Discussions and Conclusions
sections could be well described in the present paper. Considering each of the
three sections might be well analyzed in each of the study researchers. This
research paper may attract readers’ attention because it establishes the main
points between two different articles which make emphasis on different fields.
It seems that on the one hand, Barrs (2010) through her Action Research (AR)
demonstrates that the CMC programme provides a useful platform for students to
communicate in the target language outside of class. On the other hand,
Aspelund et al determine that further studies are needed to investigate
associations of chronic kidney disease and non-vascular mortality from deaths
not attributed to cancer.
References
Aspelund, T., Chowdhury, R., Danesh, J., Di Angelantonio, E.,Gudnason,
V., & Sarwar, N. (2010). BMJ Research: Chronic
kidney disease and risk of major cardiovascular disease and non-vascular
mortality: prospective population based cohort study. Retrieved April 2012,
from http://bmj2010;341:c4986
Barrs, K. (2010). Language Learning & Technology: Action Research. Fostering Computer- Mediated L2 Interaction Beyond
the Classroom. February 2012, vol.
16, nº 1, pp.10-25. Retrieved April 2012, from http://llt.msu.edu/issues/february2012/actionresearch.pdf
Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre
analysis: English in academic and research settings. (Cambridge Cambridge , UK :
Cambridge University
miércoles, 23 de noviembre de 2011
Textual Intervention
A book critique of Textual Intervention: Critical and Creative Strategies for Literary Studies by Pope, R.
The aim of this book is to challenge and change texts. If you consider reading as a form of rewriting, every intervention you make in the text is an act of intervention. The book provides a wide range of strategies for exploring texts through rewriting as well as analysis. It is about reconstruction and deconstruction, in other words, it is known as textual intervention.
As Pope (1995) states,
“every turning you take, every choice and combination you make will be gauged against one already taken and made in your base text. The latter is therefore, in every sense, the base from which you must depart and to which you must return. But where you go in the meantime- and how and why- is largely upon to you. In fact, helping you work out the where, how and why of your own critical and textual trajectories is one of the main aims of this book.” (p.2)
With reference to the style adopted, it is informal and there is a direct relationship with the readers as an attempt to lighten the usual style of academic discourse. This book is intended for learners and teachers in a wide variety of literary, linguistic and cultural studies courses. It is a combination of discourse analysis, performance techniques, critical thinking and creative writing. According to Pope (1995), “the approach proposed in this book is basically simple and practical (…) it involves criticism, creativity, the exercise of power and the activity of change. I shall describe it from two points of view, textual and educational.” (p.1).
The book is organized in five chapters. In the first chapter, the author introduces the basic method and its principles on how to intervene a text. In the second chapter, he explores the construction of subjectivity and agency in and around texts. In the third chapter, it is explained how to articulate narrative from the micro level to the macro level; he also features some experiments with narrative in films. In the fourth chapter, Pope argues that “ through dramatic intervention we experiment with alternative moves that might have been made or turns that might have been taken; and through dialogic techniques we explore the various voices and discourses in play within and around a work.” (p.xvi). In the fifth chapter, the author provides a general summary and reference section.
Broadly speaking, this book is a valuable resource for critical and creative practices. It is basically a critical-creative handbook since it offers a range of interactive and interventive strategies in which readers are encouraged to engage in structure yet playful rewriting of any text they meet. Textual Intervention by Rob Pope addresses practical concerns of teaching and learning at the interface of language and literary studies.
References
Pope, R. (1995). Textual Intervention: Critical and Creative Strategies for Literary Studies. London, UK: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
The aim of this book is to challenge and change texts. If you consider reading as a form of rewriting, every intervention you make in the text is an act of intervention. The book provides a wide range of strategies for exploring texts through rewriting as well as analysis. It is about reconstruction and deconstruction, in other words, it is known as textual intervention.
As Pope (1995) states,
“every turning you take, every choice and combination you make will be gauged against one already taken and made in your base text. The latter is therefore, in every sense, the base from which you must depart and to which you must return. But where you go in the meantime- and how and why- is largely upon to you. In fact, helping you work out the where, how and why of your own critical and textual trajectories is one of the main aims of this book.” (p.2)
With reference to the style adopted, it is informal and there is a direct relationship with the readers as an attempt to lighten the usual style of academic discourse. This book is intended for learners and teachers in a wide variety of literary, linguistic and cultural studies courses. It is a combination of discourse analysis, performance techniques, critical thinking and creative writing. According to Pope (1995), “the approach proposed in this book is basically simple and practical (…) it involves criticism, creativity, the exercise of power and the activity of change. I shall describe it from two points of view, textual and educational.” (p.1).
The book is organized in five chapters. In the first chapter, the author introduces the basic method and its principles on how to intervene a text. In the second chapter, he explores the construction of subjectivity and agency in and around texts. In the third chapter, it is explained how to articulate narrative from the micro level to the macro level; he also features some experiments with narrative in films. In the fourth chapter, Pope argues that “ through dramatic intervention we experiment with alternative moves that might have been made or turns that might have been taken; and through dialogic techniques we explore the various voices and discourses in play within and around a work.” (p.xvi). In the fifth chapter, the author provides a general summary and reference section.
Broadly speaking, this book is a valuable resource for critical and creative practices. It is basically a critical-creative handbook since it offers a range of interactive and interventive strategies in which readers are encouraged to engage in structure yet playful rewriting of any text they meet. Textual Intervention by Rob Pope addresses practical concerns of teaching and learning at the interface of language and literary studies.
References
Pope, R. (1995). Textual Intervention: Critical and Creative Strategies for Literary Studies. London, UK: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
viernes, 28 de octubre de 2011
Taboo Language in the Classroom Context
I use to work with mass media in my classes since students are really motivated, the idea of watching a movie, sending e-mails or listening to their favourite songs is specially interesting for them and at the same time they are manipulating the language in real life context. This activity is used in straightforward ways; students listen to pop songs and fill in the lyrics or put the verses in the correct order.
Students from second year of secondary school were asked to prepare a practical work with lyrics they liked most under some conditions, such as providing the song, writing the lyrics on a poster, saying the topic of the song, drawing a picture related to the topic and giving some information about the singer or band. One of the groups chose a song by Eminem (a controversial white rapper) which was full of taboo language.
The group followed all the requirements to do the task, i.e., they provided the cd with the song, they wrote the lyrics on a poster, they talked about the topic, they drew a graffiti and gave information about the singer. They also brought a photo of Eminem. They liked the topic of the song which was really aggressive and full of taboo language. They knew the general meaning of those words and they seemed to expect a certain teacher’s reaction. They were a group of rebel teenagers who usually wanted to create conflict in class and test the teacher’s skills in dealing with conflicts and the teacher’s knowledge on second language.
At first, I felt embarrassed since my role as an educator was to teach not only English as a second language but also values. As Freire points out “…human activity consists of action and reflection: it is praxis; it is transformation of the world. And as praxis it required theory to illuminate it” (as cited in Hoffman-Kipp,P., Artiles, A & Lopez-Torres, L. “Beyond reflection: teachers teaching as praxis”, 2003, para.4). Therefore, I tried to explain the meaning of taboo words as natural as possible since they knew the meanings from movies , for instance.
We analysed the relationship between violence and taboo language, physical and verbal violence and tried to find possible solutions to solve some relationship problems that occurred in the school, recently. As Crawford (1994) states “Reflection that develops a political consciousness might involve teachers integrating curriculum around concepts and issues that would be of current interest to both student and teacher or focusing on inquiry and using literature to support that inquiry, thus helping their students not only to be problem-solvers, but to become problem-posers”.( as cited in Hoffman-Kipp,P., Artiles, A & Lopez-Torres, L. “Beyond reflection: teachers teaching as praxis”, 2003, para. 3).
I also guided them to infer the differences between standard English ( the language commonly taught at schools) and every day language ( the language commonly used in talk among friends of colleagues). Helping students to improve their listening to spoken language is extremely important in the English class because the better students understand what they hear, the better they will take part in spoken interactions
To conclude, reflection is relevant in the teaching-learning process , for both students and teacher. We may reflect alone or in discussion with others in order to solve problems and pose problems, too. The challenge is to create the necessary conditions to support reflection in the classroom.
References:
Hoffman-Kipp, P., Artiles, A. J., & Lopez Torres, L. (2003). Beyond
reflection: teacher learning as praxis. Theory into Practice. Retrieved
October 2007, from
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NQM/is_3_42/ai_108442653
Students from second year of secondary school were asked to prepare a practical work with lyrics they liked most under some conditions, such as providing the song, writing the lyrics on a poster, saying the topic of the song, drawing a picture related to the topic and giving some information about the singer or band. One of the groups chose a song by Eminem (a controversial white rapper) which was full of taboo language.
The group followed all the requirements to do the task, i.e., they provided the cd with the song, they wrote the lyrics on a poster, they talked about the topic, they drew a graffiti and gave information about the singer. They also brought a photo of Eminem. They liked the topic of the song which was really aggressive and full of taboo language. They knew the general meaning of those words and they seemed to expect a certain teacher’s reaction. They were a group of rebel teenagers who usually wanted to create conflict in class and test the teacher’s skills in dealing with conflicts and the teacher’s knowledge on second language.
At first, I felt embarrassed since my role as an educator was to teach not only English as a second language but also values. As Freire points out “…human activity consists of action and reflection: it is praxis; it is transformation of the world. And as praxis it required theory to illuminate it” (as cited in Hoffman-Kipp,P., Artiles, A & Lopez-Torres, L. “Beyond reflection: teachers teaching as praxis”, 2003, para.4). Therefore, I tried to explain the meaning of taboo words as natural as possible since they knew the meanings from movies , for instance.
We analysed the relationship between violence and taboo language, physical and verbal violence and tried to find possible solutions to solve some relationship problems that occurred in the school, recently. As Crawford (1994) states “Reflection that develops a political consciousness might involve teachers integrating curriculum around concepts and issues that would be of current interest to both student and teacher or focusing on inquiry and using literature to support that inquiry, thus helping their students not only to be problem-solvers, but to become problem-posers”.( as cited in Hoffman-Kipp,P., Artiles, A & Lopez-Torres, L. “Beyond reflection: teachers teaching as praxis”, 2003, para. 3).
I also guided them to infer the differences between standard English ( the language commonly taught at schools) and every day language ( the language commonly used in talk among friends of colleagues). Helping students to improve their listening to spoken language is extremely important in the English class because the better students understand what they hear, the better they will take part in spoken interactions
To conclude, reflection is relevant in the teaching-learning process , for both students and teacher. We may reflect alone or in discussion with others in order to solve problems and pose problems, too. The challenge is to create the necessary conditions to support reflection in the classroom.
References:
Hoffman-Kipp, P., Artiles, A. J., & Lopez Torres, L. (2003). Beyond
reflection: teacher learning as praxis. Theory into Practice. Retrieved
October 2007, from
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NQM/is_3_42/ai_108442653
miércoles, 26 de octubre de 2011
Focused Journal Entry
Teaching Learning Processes on Teacher’s Education
Teaching is more than knowing a subject, through teaching you show your emotions and you share your attitudes and values with your students. As Tejada (2000) states, “A good professional is somebody who reflects on his teaching practice, takes decisions, considers the classroom atmosphere and solves problems” (as cited in Gonzàlez,J. Escartìn, N. & Pèrez, M., 2003, p.101)
Therefore, it is necessary to undertake continuous assessment in teaching strategies. Teachers not only convey knowledge on a specific area but also feelings. Besides, the cultural dimension is constantly interacting. They perform both the role of the learner and teacher.
As Monereo (1999) points out:
“En este sentido, desde la formación inicial y continuada, se tendrá que ofrecer a los profesores instrumentos de interpretación y análisis de la situación en la que se desarrolla su actividad, que les permitan tomar decisiones respecto a su actuación como aprendices y como docentes estratégicos, de manera que se vaya enriqueciendo y ampliando su formación en la interacción con la realidad cotidiana de la pràctica profesional” (p. 52)
Strategies vary on learning context and on learners-teachers’ ideologies. Dealing with teaching strategies, critical incidents are considered as a pre-service and in-service teacher education strategy. As Gonzàlez, Escartìn and Pèrez (2003) argue, “The idea is to integrate theory and practice. The diversity of teachers and the possibility for the reflexive analysis of classroom events, often solved in a spontaneous way, are the basis of this powerful strategy” (p101)
Thus, it is important to bring tools for teachers` professional development and to bring strategies to deal with critical incidents successfully. A Critical Incident (C I) implies a context, a problem, reasons and solutions. “El anàlisis de las causas y las posibles soluciones està contextualizado desde la diversidad de planteamientos en los aspectos educativos que se reflejan en los modelos didàcticos ” (Gonzàlez,J. Escartìn, N. & Pèrez, M., 2003, pp.104-105)
To conclude, critical incidents are relevant in the teaching-learning process, i.e., teachers must be ready to manage critical incidents they may occur within the classroom atmosphere and get profit of the situation since critical incidents contribute to personal and professional development.
References
Fernández González, J., Elórtegui Escartín,N & Medina Pérez, M. (2003). “Los incidentes críticos en la formación y perfeccionamiento del profesorado de secundaria de Ciencias de la Naturaleza”. Revista Interuniversitaria de Formaciòn del Profesorado, año/vol.1, número 001. Universidad de Zaragoza. Zaragoza, España 101-112. Retrieved October 2011, from http://redalyc.uaemex.ms
Monereo,C., Castellò,M., Clariana,M., Palma,M. & Pèrez, M.L. (1999). “Estrategias de enseñanza y aprendizaje”. Revista Interuniversitaria de Formaciòn de Profesorado, Universidad de Zaragoza. Retrieved October 2011,from http://redalyc.uaemex.ms
Tejada,J.(2000). “Profesionalidad docente” En: S. De La Torre y O. Barrios (Coods.), Estrategias didácticas innovadoras (pp. 72-76). Barcelona : Octaedro
Teaching is more than knowing a subject, through teaching you show your emotions and you share your attitudes and values with your students. As Tejada (2000) states, “A good professional is somebody who reflects on his teaching practice, takes decisions, considers the classroom atmosphere and solves problems” (as cited in Gonzàlez,J. Escartìn, N. & Pèrez, M., 2003, p.101)
Therefore, it is necessary to undertake continuous assessment in teaching strategies. Teachers not only convey knowledge on a specific area but also feelings. Besides, the cultural dimension is constantly interacting. They perform both the role of the learner and teacher.
As Monereo (1999) points out:
“En este sentido, desde la formación inicial y continuada, se tendrá que ofrecer a los profesores instrumentos de interpretación y análisis de la situación en la que se desarrolla su actividad, que les permitan tomar decisiones respecto a su actuación como aprendices y como docentes estratégicos, de manera que se vaya enriqueciendo y ampliando su formación en la interacción con la realidad cotidiana de la pràctica profesional” (p. 52)
Strategies vary on learning context and on learners-teachers’ ideologies. Dealing with teaching strategies, critical incidents are considered as a pre-service and in-service teacher education strategy. As Gonzàlez, Escartìn and Pèrez (2003) argue, “The idea is to integrate theory and practice. The diversity of teachers and the possibility for the reflexive analysis of classroom events, often solved in a spontaneous way, are the basis of this powerful strategy” (p101)
Thus, it is important to bring tools for teachers` professional development and to bring strategies to deal with critical incidents successfully. A Critical Incident (C I) implies a context, a problem, reasons and solutions. “El anàlisis de las causas y las posibles soluciones està contextualizado desde la diversidad de planteamientos en los aspectos educativos que se reflejan en los modelos didàcticos ” (Gonzàlez,J. Escartìn, N. & Pèrez, M., 2003, pp.104-105)
To conclude, critical incidents are relevant in the teaching-learning process, i.e., teachers must be ready to manage critical incidents they may occur within the classroom atmosphere and get profit of the situation since critical incidents contribute to personal and professional development.
References
Fernández González, J., Elórtegui Escartín,N & Medina Pérez, M. (2003). “Los incidentes críticos en la formación y perfeccionamiento del profesorado de secundaria de Ciencias de la Naturaleza”. Revista Interuniversitaria de Formaciòn del Profesorado, año/vol.1, número 001. Universidad de Zaragoza. Zaragoza, España 101-112. Retrieved October 2011, from http://redalyc.uaemex.ms
Monereo,C., Castellò,M., Clariana,M., Palma,M. & Pèrez, M.L. (1999). “Estrategias de enseñanza y aprendizaje”. Revista Interuniversitaria de Formaciòn de Profesorado, Universidad de Zaragoza. Retrieved October 2011,from http://redalyc.uaemex.ms
Tejada,J.(2000). “Profesionalidad docente” En: S. De La Torre y O. Barrios (Coods.), Estrategias didácticas innovadoras (pp. 72-76). Barcelona : Octaedro
Suscribirse a:
Comentarios (Atom)