User:Rakumi

=My Profile=

Professional
Background: EFL teacher for 20 years, mostly in France. I have taught
 * general English
 * Science and Technical English
 * Business English, in companies
 * university
 * adults
 * teens
 * children

Education
BA University of Connecticut 1991 German/French double major, Phi Beta Kappa, French Dept Award MAT School for International Training 2000 French/ESL teaching double major, Windham County Schools Partnership

Personal
I am happiest when learning another language! I also love the feeling of energy flowing between people when my class is flowing just right, students helping each other to learn, and I am learning from them as much as they are learning from me. I also love personal quiet time: gardening, reading, cooking, walking. I love to be outside as much as possible. I love forests and lakes and the ocean. I have 2 beautiful daughters that challenge me to grow everyday, and I love them for it!

My Projects
Comenius Picture Stories Project:

Partners in the project:

1.Lycée Paul Scarron, Sillé le Guillaume,France

2.Collège Paul Scarron,Sillé le Guillaume, France 3.Gymnasium Teterow, Teterow, Germany

4.l'Ecole du Futur, Soignies, Belgium

5.Lycée du Nord de Wilz, Wilz, Luxembourg

6.Storskolan, Sjobo Kommun,Sweden

Project Calendar


 * Nov 09 - A day in the life of a teenager at school, including description of our school environment
 * Jan 10 - school highlights
 * Mar 10 - European Class - theme to be determined
 * May 10 - Teens' Report and Reactions to the European class
 * Nov 10 - Aspects of our Region
 * Jan 11 - Youth and money: how we get it, how we spend it
 * Mar 11 - European Class - Youth and our dreams
 * May 11 - Teens' Report and Reactions to the European class

Please click on this link to see our First Picture Story Project: A Typical Day in Lycée Paul Scarron(under construction) 1LES Picture Story 1: A Day in the Life http://wikieducator.org/User:MrsGPaulScarron#Hello_1LES_students.21

Links to hear our previous Comenius recordings on our school radio websites
Radio de la Cité Scolaire Paul Scarron, France Radio Scolaire du Lycée du Nord de Wilz, Luxemburg

My Sandbox
/My sandbox/

My Reflection
I want to share these principles of teaching from Comenius, who is considered the European father of Education, and for whom Europe's secondary school funding program is named. He was a Czech born pastor and teacher in the early 1600's, but wandered through much of Europe due to religious persecution and the Thirty Years War. He became well-known throughout Europe for his hundreds of books published on teaching and learning, and he encouraged education of women and girls, so that mothers could in turn ensure their childrens' education. He spent his final years in Holland, and died in Amsterdam in 1670.

This information comes from the website A Puritan's Mind

Jan Amos Comenius believed in Nature as God's second book of teaching.

1.     Nature observes a suitable time.

2.     Nature prepares the material, before she begins to give it form.

3.     Nature chooses a fit subject to act upon, or first submits one to a suitable treatment in order to make it fit.

4.     Nature is not confused in its operations, but in its forward progress advances distinctly from one point to another.

5.     In all the operations of nature, development is from within.

6.     Nature, in its formative processes, begins with the universal and ends with the particular.

7.     Nature makes no leaps, but proceeds step by step.

8.     If nature commences anything, it does not leave off until the operation is completed.

Comenius'famous works include: The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart (1620-27) on how the world around him was deteriorating; The School of Infancy (1631) about the early years of childrens' education, Janua Linguarum Reserata (1632) on language studies, The Way of Light (1641) in which he laid out his plan for peace and education, Lux en Tenebris (1650) his prophecies,  Opera Didactrica (1657) a compendium of his educational works, and Orbis Pictus (1658) the first picture book for children.

Feedback & Notes from my WikiNeighbours

 * Wonderful!! Welcome to the WE Family. Lets know how we may be of assistance in this great journey. Cheers. --Victor P. K. Mensah 17:01, 2 November 2009 (UTC)
 * Wonderful!! Welcome to the WE Family. Lets know how we may be of assistance in this great journey. Cheers. --Victor P. K. Mensah 17:01, 2 November 2009 (UTC)