Reflection on the project!

Working in pairs in 2021 is quite challenging when everything is done online. 

I have been working with my partner Ersila for the project we have to present in the Technology in EFL class. We live in two different cities and unfortunately it was not possible for us to meet. 

Besides that, it was a bit difficult due to our preoccupations too, and we had to rearrange our time and daily activities to make the project work. 

But I am glad I got to work wtih Ersila for the project. She is very nice and a smart person. We had a great communication and were able to bring our ideas to life. We spent a lot of time doing research and planning our work. 

Pair work is an important aspect in learning. Pair work activities encourage co-operation between students since, in order to complete a task successfully, they have to work together and help create a very positive learning atmosphere in class – one where they genuinely want to work with others. It also normally leads to students being less afraid of making mistakes. In addition, most students grow in confidence as they discover that they can complete a task successfully without constant help from the teacher.

Pair work is dynamic and active. Learning cannot really take place unless the students are actively involved in the process. It keeps us active which increases our ability and desire to learn. Pair work provides some variety during the lesson.

Technology Tools That Enhance Student Learning

Integrating education technology into your classroom is an easy and productive way to differentiate instruction, increase student engagement and motivation, improve outcomes, and add some variety and interactivity to your lessons.

 Flipgrid

Flipgrid has recently taken the EdTech world by storm, and for good reason! Flipgrid’s platform allows teachers to encourage student reflection, collaboration, communication, creation, and critical thinking through their easily accessible platform - which is now FREE for EVERYONE! Teachers can use Flipgrid in a seemingly endless number of ways in their classroom to get a clearer picture of what students know and where they need help. Teachers create a grid in Flipgrid and then post topics for their students to respond to using video. Teachers can determine the length of the student submitted videos and can allow students to comment and react to their classmates’ videos, and can even share grids/topics/student videos through email, link, and QR Code!

 

Padlet

It enables to create a blended learning environment which, through the intentional use of technology, would be a place where all student voices would be heard. Padlet is a great tool to encourage student communication and collaboration, and is used in my classroom at least on a weekly basis. Teachers can use a collaborative tool like Padlet as a bellringer activity, a backchannel for class discussions, a review or research activity, or to introduce themselves to students from around the world!

 

Edpuzzle

I am a huge fan of the flipped classroom model and the use of instructional videos to enhance student learning. As a flipped classroom teacher, Edpuzzle is one of the “must-have” tools. This great FREE tool allows teachers to create interactive video lessons using a variety of existing videos (from YouTube, Khan Academy, etc.) or by uploading a video they create. Teachers can then embed formative assessment questions throughout their videos and provide timely and effective feedback for their students on video content. Teachers can also monitor individual student progress as well as whole-class progress and receive excellent feedback to drive instruction!

 

Quizlet

Many students and teachers may see Quizlet only as a place to access vocabulary information and create flashcards for studying purposes. While Quizlet is a great tool for this activity, it offers a fantastic resource that teachers can use to encourage their students to collaborate with their peers while reviewing/pre-viewing/learning course concepts. What is this, you ask? Quizlet Live, of course!  

Quizlet Live is a great collaborative formative assessment tool that not only requires students to work together to achieve success, but also promotes mastery learning. While participating in a Quizlet Live game, students are randomly placed into teams and are given an animal mascot, sometimes a real animal, and other times a mythical creature. Students on each team see the same question on their device, but each student has a different set of answers. Students have to work together to answer questions in a row - if a group misses a question, they start the game over!

Multiple intelligences in the classroom

The theory of multiple intelligences (MI) was first advanced by Dr, Howard Gardner, Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and adjunct professor of psychology at Harvard University,  in his 1983 book Frames of mind.

Challenging the traditional concept intelligence, the theory of multiple intelligences suggest that each individual has eight different types of intelligences. These intelligences combine to form any individual’s specific cognitive potential. 

What are these intelligences? What do they mean?

According to Dr.Gardner we all possess eight different types of intelligences.

· Verbal-linguistic intelligence, “word smart”,  refers to an individual’s ability to analyze information and produce work that involves oral and written language.

· Logical-mathematical intelligence, “maths smart”,  describes the ability to detect patterns, reason deductively and think logically, make calculations, and solve abstract problems.

· Visual-spatial intelligence, “picture smart”,  describes the ability manipulate and create mental images in order to solve problems and reason, to visualize concepts and space.

· Musical intelligence, “music smart”,  involves skill in the performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns. It encompasses the capacity to recognize and compose musical pitches, tones, and rhythms.

· Naturalistic intelligence, “nature smart”,  refers to the ability to identify and distinguish among different types of plants, animals, and weather formations found in the natural world.

· Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, “body smart”,  entails using one’s own body to create products or solve problems.

· Interpersonal intelligence, “people smart”,  reflects an ability to recognize and understand other people’s moods, desires, motivations, and intentions.

· Intrapersonal intelligence, “self smart”,  refers to people’s ability to recognize and assess those same characteristics within themselves.

These intelligences, although separate, work together, in an infinite number of combinations, in each of our learning experiences.

Gardner sustains that although we all possess these intelligences they do not develop in the same way and at the same pace in every individual. Some may “by nature” be stronger and more dominant than others at any given time of our evolution, but all can be strengthened.

What effect does this have in learning and education?

                    Still today, if asked, many people will tell you that someone is intelligent when they are good at maths, or science, or when they are articulate or speak several languages.

Although educational practices and theory are in constant evolution, our culture and many school systems still have a tendency to value linguistic and logical-mathematical abilities over others. An important part of the learning is geared towards developing those areas, or presented in a way that resonates more to and relies in greater part on the abilities of a linguistic/ logical-mathematical mind.

As a result of this, children who have a more dominantly linguistic/ logical-mathematical mind tend to do better in most traditional school systems, having their abilities being reinforced and having learning experiences that resonate with how they specifically process information. At the same time, children who show other sets of strengths, often for example related to the arts, receive much less reinforcement of their skills and  a learning experience that does not always resonate with or allow them to use their abilities.   

           Giving our students the chance to discover and develop their different intelligences can have a series of benefits for our students; from fostering new talents to becoming more involved and active learners; developing their capacity to recognize, and almost more importantly value their individual strengths; or guiding them into becoming confident, successful and accomplished adults in their field of choice.