User:Valken

User page boilerplate for UAA students
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My profile
My name is Haziel, I’m 23 years old, I like to play soccer, videogames, going to the movies, going out to parties or hanging out with my friends, etc. Right now I’m studying the BA in ELT. When I started the major I thought it would be really hard to learn how to teach. But as the time goes on I’m grasping more and more the hang of it and I really like it. My first dream before I started the BA was like to work in some kind embassy or important government agency working as a translator. Then when I had my first classes I realized it was going to be a little bit difficult, not impossible but very difficult. So, today my dream is to give classes in a university, I’m not sure in what strand yet, but I would really like it, to work with young adults on an important institution. Right now I’m happy studying the BA and my first and most immediate goal is of course to finish the major with a good grade!!.

Professional background
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Education
Primary schoo: Escuela Primaria Ignacio Ramirez Junior High School: Secundaria Tecnica #1 High School: C.E.B. Lic. Jesús Reyes Heroles University: Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes

My teaching philosophy
My educational philosophy in the second language teaching is mainly focused on the natural method, because I think it is easier for them to listen to the target language all the time, so they familiarize with it. I like students to learn by using as much L2 as possible. When teaching grammar I try to give my students non-explicit grammar, so they can find out the grammar rule by themselves. I also like to focus on vocabulary because it is very important to acquire fluency. I have always learnt better by watching, so I try to give students visual aids so they learn better. Also, as I try to use real life situations, so they can feel how real language is used. The use of technology is also important for my philosophy because the world requires having a technological knowledge to face new teaching situations. I also take advantage of the reading method, because the more you read, the more you get to know the language.

Action Plan
The technology when teaching L2 in a classroom is a challenge for teachers when they don't know how to use it. It is always difficult to find the exact ammount of activities carried out with technology. Some of the teachers are outdated with technology, while some others overuse this resource. As a result,the activities carried out in class can be very difficult or old fashioned for students, and for this reason we must learn to have a measured use of technology.

3 paragraphs essay
Teachers face several difficulties to teach the writing skill to the ESL students. Sometimes trying to use an electronic support such as wikis can be scary and challenging. Giving the step to switch between a common classroom activity and using a wiki commonly challenges the teacher when working with this tricky; hard to manage ability. For this reason, the educator must explore other options to broaden the choices available, and thus, losing the fear of working with wikis.

Considering the difficulties that could be faced when woring with a wiki, it is important to define what a wiki is, as well as mention some positive aspects. According to Leuf and Cunningham (2001), “a wiki is a Web page that can be viewed and modified by anybody with a Web browser and access to the Internet” (as cited in (7 things you should know…, 2005, p. 1). As a result, most students can access this technological tool easily. Besides, we can have a collaborative working environment when using wikis. Su and Beaumont (2001) claim: “a wiki is able to provide a learning environment which is closely aligned with the social-constructivist approach and is more natural than many tools where open collaboration and the exchange of ideas are important”. So, by analyzing this evidence, the educator can take actions and put this electronic aid in practice. By doing this, the teacher can attract the attention from their learners and thus, improve the results obtained with this skill –without mentioning that most of them like to use computers a lot-. Besides, students and teachers can find it fun and active. Another reason to consider this way of working is because nowadays, the technology has become an important part of everyone's life.

As a conclusion, teaching the writing skill to students is challenging; And sometimes a teacher can get frightened and stuck when working with it. Nevertheless, using wikis could represent a window to improve the methodology and activities. So, should we start thinking beyond a simple and dull writing activity? Or should we move on to the next generation of teaching?.

References

7 things you should know about wikis. (2005) Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7004.pdf

Su, F., Beaumont, C. (2001). Evaluating the use of a wiki for collaborative learning. Retrieved from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14703297.2010.518428

My Links
Academic Writing Class Main Page | Applied Linguistics | EFL Writer's Manual | Wiki Help | Wiki Video Tutorials | Haziel's Research | Haziel's Review | Haziel's Literature

My Sandbox
/My sandbox/