My learning diary by giovanna

This is me

juana_tanzi — 2015-04-19 17:43:37 UTC

I'm Giovanna Tanzillo and have been teaching English for 11 years. First I have worked in a vocational school for 8 years and now I'm teaching in a Scientific course of a very good Liceo in Latina, 'Ettore Majorana'. This is the link to our website http://www.liceomajoranalatina.it/

Here is a video about me and my school and the use of tablets

juana_tanzi — 2015-04-19 17:50:23 UTC

Creative use of tablets in schools

juana_tanzi — 2015-04-19 18:18:51 UTC

My passion: cooking and cake art

juana_tanzi — 2015-04-19 18:45:57 UTC

My last creation for my parents-in-law's 50th anniversary. This january I've joined a cousine course, base level and I enjoyed it a lot.

European project

juana_tanzi — 2015-04-19 19:03:42 UTC

In this picture I'm in Sweden in Nanjing for a European Project, Leonardo, about the use of tablets in schools.

Module 1.2: Why do you use or want to use tablets in your teaching?

juana_tanzi — 2015-04-19 19:18:13 UTC

I joined a European project about the usage of tablets and smart phones in class and visited some European countries ( Sweden, Germany, Romania and Turkey) and saw how they use them and how effective they are. So, I have decided to try this way in my first class with students aged 14/15. At first they found it really strange and unusual, but day after day they have understood how useful is to use their digital devices to study. Our school is supplied with WiFI connection but unfortunately students are not allowed to surf the net. We usually use their own connection or I use my password and connect my netbook so everybody can have access to information. Parents are enthusiastic. Of course my teaching has changed. They work in groups and in pairs, they learn from each other (cooperative learning) and are motivated to learn having fun. I’m only at an initial stage because I couldn’t know if it would have been successful. But I’ve great ideas for next year and I’m sure they’ll follow me like this year but more conscious of the potential of this device. I hope to concern also other colleagues that are still skeptical about using smart phones and tablets in class. Keeping up with changing technology will always be a stimulating and fascinating challenge for us.

Module 1.3: What whole-school challenges do I already face or do I anticipate facing when using tablets?

juana_tanzi — 2015-04-19 19:22:33 UTC

First of all I believe the greatest challenge is Money. This is the biggest problem of Italian school. Equipping every student with a mobile device is expensive and
school can't afford the cost. Involving most of members
in sharing a plan means extra meetings and extra working hours ususally not paid. In my school most of us don't like sharing resources and ideas.

Being successful in using tablets needs:

teacher training
a fast wi-fi connection;
e-safety and privacy
new arrangement in the classrooms
monitoring resultss
convincing
colleagues of benefit of using tablets in thei lessons.

Module 1.5: App for Teaching: Edmodo Are you using Edmodo in your classroom?

juana_tanzi — 2015-04-19 19:26:17 UTC

I have an Edmodo account but I haven't used it in class with my students. All over the years i've tried to form and work with virtual classes but it was a real failure. My students aren't interested in it. Maybe because they are very lazy and don't want extra thoughts. So after some attempts I've realized that the best way to appeal to them is Facebook. So at the beginning of the the school year I ususally ask my new students to set a closed Group on facebook and it becomes our shared space. I send them links to interesting activity, videos, files and all that they need to study and learn. They can contact me at any time and I can answer them whereever I am. It's very comfortable. This year the students of the first and second class have suggested Dropbox. It is useful as well. In the meanwhile I'm trying new tools because I want to show them next year.

Module 1: Resouorces

juana_tanzi — 2015-04-19 19:30:30 UTC

I've also joined another project, it's about the flipped classroom. I started it last tuesday and I'm really enthusiastic. Here is what the flipped classroom is and I'd like to unify these two courses and take the best from both in planning my next syllabus.

My town

juana_tanzi — 2015-04-19 19:37:53 UTC

Latina is the town where I live and work. I moved here 13 years ago. Actually I'm from Naples but since my husband is a soldier we often move from one place to another. Here is a picture of Latina.

News from Italy

juana_tanzi — 2015-04-19 20:34:42 UTC

I tablet a scuola servono?

News from the world

juana_tanzi — 2015-04-19 20:48:46 UTC

The revolution that could change the way your child is taught

Moduele 2.1: What do you make of the Learning Scenarios concept?

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-01 17:11:52 UTC

I've never heard of Learning scenario, but it's amazing to realize that
I've been using some of the seven steps in my teaching. For example in my
third class we are working on a topic that is part of the present school year,
The Elizabethan Age, and I usually start introducing the topic by writing it on
the black or White board and then I asked my students to think about it and
tell what they already know about it. Maybe this could be the 1 step of the
video: DREAM.
Then I asked them to collect information about the topic using their electronic
device: EXPLORE. The following stage is to make their product that can
be a powerpoint presentation, but they can also use any other tool available
online: MAKE. The final stage iswhat in video is called SHOW where
students show their product to their classmates. As you can see in the picture
the group is working on clothes used during the Elizabethan age and are collecting pictures from the Internet. At the end of the project all their works will
be collected all together. We haven’t chosen the way yet, but I showed them
Padlet and they liked it much.

Module 2.2: What kind of content can you produce with your class?

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-01 17:20:19 UTC

I’d like to show you some products made by my students three years ago. I thaught in a
vocational school where it is not supposed to teach them literature. But I used
the occasion of the 200^thanniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth, that was in 2012 and took my students of a second class aged 15/16 around the city in two different moments of the
school year. So they, with tablets, smartphones and digital cameras in their hands, became a sort of new Charles Dickens. A group was asked to record any detail of the places they visited while another group was carrying on taking picture of the city how it was then. Latina has changed a lot over the years, just like London changed during the Industrial Revolution and found in Dickens’ novels. Look at the results! They are not perfect but I was and I'm still proud of them.

Connecting classrooms by British Council

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-01 17:25:27 UTC

Here is a blog created in 2012 with some students of mine aged 14/15. We joined an online project issued by the British Council named 'Connecting Classrooms'. They were really fantastic despite their age. It was a useful experience for them because they had the chance to share they customs and traditions with many other countries around the world and learned so much about other culture so far from their country.

http://italian-guys.blogspot.it/p/introducing-ourselves.html

Memories

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-01 17:37:07 UTC

A presentation about Swatch

http://www.slideshare.net/sirjane/presentazione1-8280668

Memories

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-01 17:40:59 UTC

When I taught at a technical school I asked my students to go and visit a supermarket and write a report about what they saw inside. Here is one of their work

http://www.slideshare.net/sirjane/lavoro-inglese-strategie-nel-mercato

Module 3.1: How do you form groups of students for group work and why do you take this approach? Based on your experience what strategies of forming groups work and which do not work? Why?

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-01 19:36:05 UTC

It is not easy to form groups and sometimes I face great difficulties because sts don't accept to work in Group especially when I ask them to continue their work at home. They oppose a lot of excuses. But once they accept, I let them form the groups according to their friendships. They usually pick up their close friends and start to chat or argue but not to collaborate. After this first approach I choose the members of each Group by extracting their name. This is the best method to make them accept the components of the Group. Sometimes I find some of them are not so "productive" and focused on their activities. instead they are working on their own or minding their business. But I don't give up and in the end I'm surprised how much they learn from each other.

Module 3.2: How do you keep your students focused and on track during collaborative projects? How do you ensure all students contribute to the task?

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-01 19:42:25 UTC

In his book La Tête bien faite Edgar Morin states that ‘it is better to have a good head than a head full of information. This is true as for students as for teachers.
I mean that if the plan is clear in the teacher’s mind it will be easier for the students to understand their task and how to get it. So, I always try to choose not very complex activities and give precise instructions for the groups to follow.
Actually, I like to use a shared our plan on our facebook group or give them a paper version with the steps and the task they have to perform. I usually follow what groups are doing walking around the desks but they also know they can contact me at any time. I always give them a deadline to respect that is a fundamental part of the final evaluation.
It is part of the rules they have to respect, they cannot delay. When they work in groups I become their supervisor and I help them when they are in trouble.

Module 3.3: Success factors of school-to-school collaboration projects We know many of you on the course are already etwinners, so take this opportunity to share your successful school-to-school collaboration projects here, in particular if they involved tablets. And even if you are no etwinner yet, what do you think are the success factors for a school-to-school collaboration project?

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-01 20:01:43 UTC

I know the eTwinning project, but have never done one yet. This could be the right place to start one :) I’d love it. The success factors to school-to-school collaboration are various. Students undeestand they are part of the world and use their language to communicate with others. The project is interesting
because enables both teachers and students to plan a flexible curriculum based on technology. Using Skype or any other programme to video chat and communicate is amazing for students.

Module 3.4: Assessment & Collaboration

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-01 20:30:13 UTC

The evaluation of the Group work is Always hard for the teacher. That's because we have lots of things to consider. For example when and where the work has be done. Often sts start their work in class and finish it at home and the teacher can't know who has continued and how the work has been continued. Last week I evaluated a Group work and I took into account the following factors I mean they are important to reach an objective assessment: the efficacy of the final product ; lexical and grammar competence and the relevance. At this stage sts can evaluate easily since they have seen and read the final product. Then, as the work is usually snown in front of the class (audience)
there should be the evaluation of the so-called 'public speaking', that is the competence of speaking. Here bothe sts and teacher can express their opinion. Finally the teacher can give the right (?) mark and evaluate. Self-evaluation is very important and sts are very good at it, more than Teachers.

My tools

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-01 20:44:24 UTC

Some tools I use with my students for collaborative learning:

Dropbox - Emaze - Fakebook (my favourite - Google Drive - Prezi- Padlet - Powtoon - Spyderscribe - Edmodo

Module4.1 How do you know what types of learners there are? What are good strategies to identify this? Is it enough to simply ask the students as is done in the video above? Are the students, are we, always fully aware of how we learn best?

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-06 10:34:27 UTC

I have never really tried to know what kind of learners my students are. A good idea is a test for multiple intelligences at the beginning of the school year. I am aware that each student learns differently and finding ways to personalize education is a great challenge indeed and time doesn’t help me at all. I have 3 hours a week in each class (I’ve have 6 classes for an amount of about 150 sts). However, I always work on the four abilities: listening, reading, writing and speaking and sometime I can understand their learning style. I always share my opinions with my colleagues. We are about 8 colleagues in each class so it’s important to share the information each of us collects about students.

Module 4.2 What other ways can you think of how tablets can be used to personalise the learning experience of your students?

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-06 10:36:11 UTC

Tablets are not available at my school, but I have been using Facebook and Dropbox as an extended digital classroom and work towards personalization. This year for the first time I have shown my students and their families the opportunity to work in a different way and they have been enthusiastic. We first started using their smartphones and soon after Christmas some of them have been using tablets they had as Christmas present. Unfortunately they have to use their personal connection to the internet because the school doesn’t supply them with a password, my principal is afraid of letting them free to surf the net. I’m the password to access the school wifi but it’s limited to me. Yes I can connect my netbook and share it with my students and I usually do this, but everything is gets slower. But I must say that despite the great problems we face every day, students are taking advantages from this new methodology. I can say they have shifted from
"ask for help" to "look for help" and in my case smartphones have been very helpful in achieving this goal. Anyway since I am a language teacher I’m advantaged because our teaching usually has always been more active and motivating thanks to the use of audio and videos in class. Actually in each classroom we have a pc connected to a IWB (interactive white board) so it’s easy for me show my students videos or some content I
usually prepare in advance using Edpuzzle, Prezi, Quizlet or simply a power point presentation. And all the material shown during the lesson is later posted on our group on Facebook and in Dropbox.

I’ve great ideas for next school year also thanks to this course and the participants that are great and do amazing things with their students. My hope is to project something with them and improve our methodology and knowledge.

Tablet is the future in Learning

Module 4.4 Have you tried out the flipped classroom model already?

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-06 10:39:00 UTC

I’ve joined two courses at the moment: this one and another issued by Flipnet an association founded by flipped Italian teachers. it’s mixed, since I’ve two meetings in presence and 4 modules online. I heard about this new method and I was so curious that started reading about it. On
the Internet there’s a lot of material about it and you tube offers a vast choice of videos on this topic. So, as my habit, I’ve soon tried this new method and I must say that’s fantastic. Of course there is an extra burden of work for the teacher that has to choose, select and adapt the material and has to be ready to change his/her role. We are not teacher in the common sense but
we are becoming facilitators of the learning process.

This method has been very useful in the final classes where students have the final State exam in June. This year, unexpectedly I’ve lost many school days for personal reasons, and using the flipped method I have been able to support my students in any case. So they haven’t lost any lessons of mine and the programme has been carried out regularly. Of course, it is important students
agree with this methodology and also their families have to know the teacher is using it, because students need a tablet, but also a pc is good, and a connection to the internet otherwise they are out. It’s been only an attempt indeed, but I must say that it’s simpler with younger students, who are in the first and second class, and it becomes more difficult with older students, I mean students that are 17/19 aged. Important is that in a team more than one teacher should use this method so students will accept it easier. One of my student last time said to me ‘Teacher, why don’t you the usual method?, I like it more than this!’. I understand why he told me that, because the flipped method is based on self-learning and my students are not mature for that sort of learning yet. Another student said to me: ‘Teacher, all this is very beautiful and interesting but I like the teacher that shows her/his knowledge, I’m fascinated by listening to wise and educated teachers and feel his/her passion in speaking.I miss your voice and gestures.’

PDF BOOK

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-06 10:41:57 UTC

The book I'm reading.

Module 4.5 what do you think are the key challenges to implementing the model in classrooms?

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-06 10:43:15 UTC

The greatest challenge is to make students and parents understand we all live in the 21^st century and we all use technology every day in our lives.
Why don’t use it to learn? Making them all that if the teacher asks students to watch a video at home or to make a presentation it does not mean that the teacher doesn’t want to teach in class but simply that he/she wants his/her students to become competent in what Europe and the entire world ask: eight key competences for lifelong learning. Maybe it’ll be useful if the teacher gives a copy of it to students and parents on the first school day.

Module 4.6 Share any other apps and tools you know about for personalisation and flipping the classroom.

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-06 10:44:57 UTC

-Edmodo

-Padlet

-Quizlet

-Dropbox

-Powtoon

Module 4.8.1 My lesson

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-06 10:50:49 UTC

http://v.gd/gj5mIp

The editor is Mauro because I had some problems with my account so I decided to submit anothr account using my husband's name. I soon informed the team, so they know about it.

This is the end

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-06 11:11:44 UTC

I've enjoyed this course a lot. I've learned lots of new things and apps i can use with my students. I've have met , even if only virtually Amazing colleagues that do my same job with passion and competence.

I'd like to continue to be in touch with whom wants to share a project or any school activities. i'd like to share with you our experiences and material we can produce for our students.

Bye bye everybody and best of luck to you all.

School and Teachers are the KEY

juana_tanzi — 2015-05-06 11:20:00 UTC

I believe it!!!!!