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Hello! My name is Isabel Pereira and I am a Primary School teacher. At the moment I teach 3rd grade in a biligual private school in Porto, Portugal. I teach portuguese and math and I team teach Natural and Social Science using a CLIL approach.

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Students are increasingly interested in putting their knowledge into practice. Thus, and with the ages with which I work, there is a constant search in the creation and development of activities that materialize the learning. For that, I use various strategies and resources: drama, ICT, manipulation of material, presentation of content by students, involvement of the family, etc. The greatest challenge I identify is that there is a specific program to work, where many of the concepts are abstract and difficult to achieve. I believe, too, that this work has to be complemented with more specific work and that, certainly, sometimes go against their interests and motivation. I think the ideal is to find the balance between everything: needs, requirements and motivations!

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Formal - learned at school, planned activities and evaluated through tests.
Informal - learned in every day activities with others (friends anda familly) or by myself (read a book about something or learn using Youtube) something that I want or am interested in.
Non-formal - learned after school, voluntarily, and teached by others. It can be planed or not (extra-curriculum activities, for exemple: soccer, drama club, guitar, …)

Survey = 8/10; 80%

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Linking fomal/ non-formal/ informal learning

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Linking fomal/ non-formal/ informal learning

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Combining different approaches in content exploration ensures that more students understand the message. Thus, I consider that it is in the articulation between the three - formal, informal and non-formal learning - that the success of learning in my students lies. In my specific context, each of the content covered is explored, initially, starting from the knowledge of each one or, in some situations, through a challenging situation that they have to explore at home along with the family. From there, we construct a concept map according to what the group group knows about a certain theme. It may also happen that students are challenged to search different sources (digital or otherwise) for information about the topic to be addressed in class. After this work of first approach / contact with the content and explored in a large group, I resort to exploratory videos or even to their daily situations, so that they can operate the learning in concrete situations. There is also a part of the class where the students perform training exercises according to the proposals of the manuals adopted, during which they can consult the various materials available. In addition, group work is carried out on the topic addressed and then shared with the other colleagues. In the end, often as a way of verifying students' knowledge, I turn to questionnaires or digital applications that allow the mobilization of developed skills and the operationalization of the lessons learned. This verification also happens in individual and / or group presentations.

Nonetheless, I believe that the educational project itself must integrate into its annual plan activities that promote the articulation of these three ways of learning. In the college where I teach, for example, students have the opportunity to participate in an annual talent contest - "Got Talent". This contest aims to show students their talent through individual or group performances. From dramatizations, to dance presentations, anecdotes, singing, gymnastics numbers or concerts of a specific instrument, each participant has the autonomy and freedom to decide the number to present and, with the guidance of a teacher in the area, readjust and rehearse until day of the long awaited contest.

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Strategies to empower students in their formal and informal learning

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Strategies to empower students in their formal and informal learning

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The fact that there is a curriculum that teachers have to fulfill in order to have their students "qualified" to join the next year of schooling, ends up directing the classes to a rather traditional, that is, teacher-centered format. It is up to the (creative) teacher to find ways to use appealing strategies and to approach the curriculum so that students find meaning in what they are learning. For this, I consider the development of individual or group projects in which students research on a specific topic, to their liking, under the guidance of the teacher who can "work" the curriculum in an integrated and transversal way. In addition, the development of projects with other schools, namely European, eTwinning projects, for example, enables the development of skills increasingly required in our society as well as collaborative work with other children that will also add some knowledge to our study.

One of my students had, from a very early age, difficulties in the process of learning to read and write. For him, it was a great challenge to read any type of text and mainly answer questions in writing. This student has always shown a downfall for drawing and worshiping fanciful stories. With that in mind, the approach to reading and writing came through the creation of a comic book between him and him. For that, we had to read and analyze several comics before we built ours. Being a student with excellent oral expression skills, we also developed short videos and audios in which the student presented stories to his colleagues and then answered questions that he orally defined. Gradually, the student gained confidence in his reading and writing skills, creating a special taste that he did not previously have.

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Randy Bass
Personalize Instruction: imagine the gratest amount of ways that you can constumize a curriculum to the habilities and the interestes of na individual student. Technology offers tools that in thoughtful well designed enviroment in the hands of capable teachers can help students to have a more costumized path through the curriculum.

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Video 2: Teaching the students in the back row
There are all kinds of reasons why students strugggle. How to reach these students? The ones who are boring or not interested or even with difficulties. I need to be able to give a little bit of my attention or more of my time. Classes are larger and more diverse and my professional responsabilities grow larger.
Personalized learning is a set of ideas of solving this problem so that I can spend more time teaching them, enganging them and changing their lives.

Personalise Learning Task:
I believe that the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) methodology would work very well in the case of having to customize a learning topic. To each of the students I would give a guideline to the research with initial research questions and space to add their own questions. At this stage, the orientation of the teacher is fundamental. From there, where each one would have a working script built to their measure, acording to their habilities and interesses, and with their contribution, each student would select how to do the work and the resources that would be considered most effective for the accomplishment of the task.

At their own pace and according to what they devised for the development of the activity, each student would be guided by the teacher at times when constraints arose. It is also important to support the management of time, resources and informations found during the research. In the end, I would share the work that each one has done. This presentation would be performed by each one and would allow the other student to add data that was researched by another student and which, eventually, was not included in their own research.

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Initially, at the beginning of the primary school, and whenever there is a new student in the class, I make an individual interview with the parents of the students. Its main goal is to know the student taking into account the perspective of the parents. Once I work in a private institution, a meeting with the pre-school educator is also held, which provides a series of information and strategies that allow me to plan my intervention according to the interests of the group and each child. In addition, students are encouraged to do individual and group work, and the themes they select and the resources they choose to use often indicate the best way to "reach" each of them and to address various contentes. At this stage, there is a close proximity between students, teachers and parents, and everyone is involved in the various strategies used throughout the year to ensure greater suitability in class.

The evaluation is carried out in a continuous way through observation registers, which allow the monitoring of student evolution during the classes; oral presentations; works proposed by me (worksheets, for exemple) or carried out on the initiative of the students; through online questionnaires and evaluation sheets.

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TRICIDER
Problem Based Learning
Pros: This methodology is very interesting because it allows students to use diverse competences and promotes interdisciplinarity. I also find it enriching to group pupils from different years into research activities.

Cons: The biggest challenge in this type of methodology, when in a group, is to define tasks and responsibilities. Often, there are students who collaborate little in this type of activity, and the other members have to assume a greater responsibility.

Activity 2:
For na effective personalized learning, it is important to take into account each student's background, needs, interests, motivations and abilities. For this, it is essential to know each one of them well. It is also essential to dialogue with the other teachers who interact with the students, in order to adopt effective strategies and methodologies that meet the student. In this way, we are able to meet, as much as possible, the characteristics of each one, fomenting personalized learning that promotes success.

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As I work with 8 year old, is difficult for me to Grant total autonomy to my students. They usually need my help to guide them through their own learning and I have the need to assure that they learn the different contents. I feel somekind insecure to engage in personalized learning, beacuse at some point parents and even society expect results, this is, they value the result instead of the process.

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MENTIMITER
Another tool that I believe that fosters learning, in addition to those presented in Mentimiter, is the "Escola Virtual" platform. In this platform, students can study methodically and learn independently, promoting study habits and contemplating different types of learning. How resources include videos and exercises and interactive features that explain the various contents in a simple and practical way. The visual part makes understanding concepts easier. In addition, the explanation is carried out in a logic of play and challenge, motivating students to study. The self-corrective tests allow the identification of their greatest difficulties and then be able to overcome them through the resources that also exist in the platform. The Escola Virtual, being an online platform, can be used at school or at home.

Cassroom setup
Although the physical resources of the classroom are not the easiest for the quick adjustment according to the activity, I have the possibility to do so whenever necessary. Basically, I organize my room in groups, as I believe it is a promoter of sharing and joint reflection. There is always a freer space where I can quickly organize the students on the floor and make small presentations and / or debates with the class.

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Collaborative learning is based on the model that knowledge can be created within a population where members actively interact by sharing experiences and take on asymmetric roles. (2009, Mitnik; Recabarren; Nussbaum; Soto).

Collaborative learning refers to methodologies and enviroments in which learners engage in a common task where each individual depends on and is accountable to each other. (2008, Chiu).

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I believe that through group work, where each has a defined responsibility and task, students develop skills both academically, socially and emotionally. This type of work allows collaboration among all in the search for a common response.
I have already organised information research work for later presentation to other children; I have already dynamized eTwinning projects and discussion sessions where, in a group, they had to discuss a certain topic to counter-argument with the other groups.
With my students, I would like the group work to encourage the development of the aforementioned competencies. Personally, I would like to have access to tools for observation and evaluation of this work method.

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In the classroom, I have already developed projects with points in common with what is described in the video. With students of the 3rd year, some environmental problems that lacked reflection and behavior change were identified. Each group selected a problem, defined a work plan, the resources to be used, the responsibilities of each in the group and the presentation mode. The final products were quite distinctive: some built posters, others turned to PowerPoint, made leaflets to distribute in high school, and produced videos. The most positive aspects of this work were: the involvement, commitment and motivation of the students and the "amount" of learning carried out by each one. The main difficulties were: the management of some conflicts in the group at the level of the decision making and the necessary orientation in the research moments, ensuring that what they would share was pertinent and according to their perception / understanding.

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Collaborative Learning to build deeper understanding

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Collaborative Learning to build deeper understanding

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First, the topics covered in collaborative work result from a diagnosis to the class and meet the interests and motivations of the students. By itself, this is a decisive factor for the participation and involvement of all. I consider that the rules of participation in a group work are essential for the management of the environment in the classroom and the contribution of each one is valued and used to follow up the work.

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Collaborative Learning in a flexible classroom

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Collaborative Learning in a flexible classroom

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My classroom is organized by groups of 4 students, but this organization changes whenever necessary, depending on the activity to be performed. I always have the concern to ensure that there is a free space and no tables so that we can quickly sit on the floor and energize activities that require larger material or simply debate or dialogue about something. This organization allows the necessary distance between groups facilitating interaction and mobility among all. Through the video, it is easily realized that it is not necessary to have a specific kind of furniture to make the space conducive to collaboration, although it facilitates the process. The tables organized in a circle, turned inwards, for example, allows a greater and better interaction among all, since all are in the field of vision of others, for example.

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Personalised learning means that, taking into account the characteristics, motivations and way of learning, we adapt the way learning happens. In this way, the learning takes place in a responsible and autonomous way, assuming the main role in the management of its academic course. This can and should be on par with collaborative and cooperative learning because, as we have seen, learning happens interactively with peers and develops the academic, social and emotional skills necessary for active participation in society in the future. In this, each of the students contributes to the growth of others by sharing the things they know, being that in individualized and personalised work they can try approaches that they have learned from others. There is, therefore, an exchange of knowledge

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I believe that if collaborative work is effective, students will learn more than individually. However, I agree with Phil Spoors's perspective, since often, if not most, students tend to disengage themselves from their tasks, overloading their peers, eventually becoming individual learning. Since there are many motivations within the classroom, not every theme or task will ensure everyone's involvement. It is therefore essential to help students in this management.

Since collaborative work presupposes collaboration and cooperation among group members, the discussion of ideas will promote thinking. Through collaborative learning, students have to present their ideas, defend them and adjust them according to the arguments of others, promoting thought.

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Activity 1: The evaluation of collaborative learning must be thought according to the defined task and it must be shared with the students. I usually provide this information and clarify each of the topics before starting the activity, as I consider it a good way to organize and manage your work. Normally, these checklists / evaluation grids are built by me, based on others that already exist. By habit, I do not involve students in building these lists, but I consider it important to start doing so. In this way, I involve them in the whole process of collaborative learning, and they are also responsible for it. Likewise, it is important to build checklists with the students themselves, even with 3rd graders. In this way, we value both the process and the product of collaborative work, as Elena Pezzi points out.
According to my experience, knowledge of these checklists and the clarification of each of the topics at the beginning of the activity, as well as the constant feedback throughout the process, are essential in the management and orientation of the work by the group, allowing the necessary adjustments, taking into account the purpose of the work.

Activity 2: I have never had the opportunity to work on projects that offer students formal and informal learning opportunities. However, I think the best way to assess your learning will be by creating logbooks and meetings that promote joint reflection, via Skype for example. It is also important to maintain regular contact with the guidance teachers or someone responsible for the project in order to obtain information about the involvement and participation of students in these projects.

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Student Collaboration outsider the classroom

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Student Collaboration outsider the classroom

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Activity 1: Outside the classroom, students have the opportunity to work on mathematical content, for example. In one of the works carried out when approaching Length Measurement Units, students can be asked to construct a model of their recreation. For this, they will have to make the necessary measurements of the different spaces and, according to the defined scale, organize themselves in groups to construct the own model. The measurements involve exploring the spaces outside the classroom and measuring, together, the different spaces. The construction can be performed in the outer space itself, so as to be as realistic and faithful as possible. For this, they can also use tablets or cameras to have the visual record always available. In the end, the groups will have to join all the models in one, implying the articulation between all.

Activity 2: I've never used Actionbound in my classes. Usually I use Kahhoot - interactive questionnaire - it increases the motivation of the students although it causes some confusion in the use of the codes of the answers; PowerPoint - interactive presentation - students like when I turn to this tool because it is dynamic, however, and because other tools already exist, it turns out to be hard work in the dynamic construction of the presentations; Forms - online forms - students are motivated to write. It is laborious in the feedback that is given to the students, because a great number of answers have to be foreseen; and Planner (Microsoft 365) - tool for organizing tasks in a collaborative way - centralizes information; Prezi - dynamic content presentation - gives dynamic presentations, although it is confusing and somewhat limiting given the available templates; Padlet and Plickers - online questionnaire with physical response cards - the free online version is limited to 5 questions.

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In a way, these results surprised me. First of all, in addition to the number of participants, it was surprising that most of the students want to study about languages ​​and not about a specific topic and to their liking. I was also amazed that studying about technology does not occupy the "first place" in the table. It would be expected that students would like to explore a topic that is of their interest and completely different from what is "taught" in schools. The most chosen place to learn was "at home" (68%) and then "in the classroom" (51%). I do not consider this difference significant, which surprises me. Surprising is the fact that a minority (5%) would like to learn in laboratories, in nature and by tablets, because it is a time when both talk about "taking students out of classrooms" and "resort to experimental teaching." This may also be a sign that the School is responding positively and successfully to the motivations and needs of its students. On the topic "How would you like to learn?", Be amazed at how close the response percentages are. This leads me to question: if the students themselves do not define their best way of learning, how do we, as teachers, guarantee that we are responding to the characteristics of each one?
This question is essential for me to make appropriate adaptations in the way my students learn. Since I am a teacher of the Primary School, it is essential to have my students contact with the greatest number of different approaches and methodologies, so that, later on, they can select the one that best suits their form of learning.