Sara Viotti's learning diary by Sara Viotti

sara_viotti — 2016-06-10 11:27:05 UTC

Something about me

Where I teach

sara_viotti — 2016-06-10 11:51:33 UTC

Liceo Statale "Piero Gobetti" is located in Genoa. The main building is an ancient palace of Spinola's family, that Rubens set down in a book. Anyway, I teach in one of the other two places the liceo owns. I teach Spanish, as you know. At "Liceo linguistico" students learn 3 different languages: the first is English, but as second or a third they can choose betweeen French, German or Spanish. In every classroom there is a computer, we use to register presences or absences. Digital activities are developed in labs. We have also two IWB, but many teachers only use it to show films and not to practice interactive activities, if there aren't in their books on line exercises. Furthermore, computers are old and our students learn in a traditional way. So, when you suggest an innovative or creative activity using technology, they try to connect to social networks or websites they consider interesting.

sara_viotti — 2016-06-10 12:23:19 UTC

http://erasmusgobetti.blogspot.it/
http://liceolinguisticogo.wix.com/economiaerasmusplus

sara_viotti — 2016-06-10 12:27:00 UTC

Before starting this project, many teachers of my school saw digital skills as enemies.

1.3 P2P - Reflections on our current teaching practice

sara_viotti — 2016-06-10 12:45:16 UTC

Thinking about which activities I like in the classroom, the most of the time they are oriented to oral skills. So, I propose listening comprehensions, short videos or brainstormings about a topic to prepare the group to use new functions of the language. I would like it was possible students change classroom setting when learnin in small groups. The problem is, in my country we have 28 students or more in small, old spaces and their desks have no wheels, so they can't move them without noise or losing time. They use to attend lessons as they are expected to do, but I think this new generation needs more than our beloved comunicative approach. And more, they have a "social life", as they say. School is only a small part of their living, an old fashioned place they are forced to stay 5 or 6 hours in a day, but when out they have a smartphone, a notebook, their favourite sport, friends, a virtual life using social networks...In my opinion, if they can't remember what they learned yesterday is because we have no idea about how fast is flowing their time. We spent our afternoons reading books and repeating words. What is the right way a digital native generation?

PBL could be the solution. I've never used this strategy in my lessons, I'm here to learn. In april, I attended an ETwinning learning event and knew that in Finland new curriculums include coding as a skill every subject should develop. Every teenager if asked about his/her smartphone will answer he couldn't live without. And thinking of myself, probably my answer would be the same. PBL allows us to arouse enthusiasme in students: they would use their personal device to investigate or making videos...

Literature is the part of my subject (I teach Spanish) more students find boring. I suppose PBL could be a good system to make it interesting. The topic I'd like to teach experimenting PBL is Middle Age ballads (Romancero).

That's all. I 'm waiting for my two mates reflections!

1.2 Why use PBL

sara_viotti — 2016-06-10 13:13:47 UTC

The problem is, many of us in Italy are more than 50 years old and frightened by the idea of losing the whole control of the lesson. PBL approach means sharing the teacher's traditional leadership in the classroom with our students and educating them to a respectful, responsible team working.

1.6 P2P - Your PBL Design: Formulating your driving question

sara_viotti — 2016-06-11 07:26:36 UTC

Hi!

The project I'd like to develop with my students of the third class of LICEO LINGUISTICO in the subject I teach (Spanish) is related with Romancero, I mean an investigation about spanish ballads in the Middle Age.

My driving question would be: "Imagine you're living in the Middle Age and television, cinema, pc, smartphones, all the technology we are used to spend our free time with doesn't exist. How do you have fun when not working?". Obviously, the question would be formulated in spanish.

Wait for your asessment!

Sara

Assessment made  By Betina Astride Santos date 12-06-2016 14:10

1.6. Formulating driving questions

Work from Sara Viotti

You finished this task, so congratulations, Sara.

I can clearly understand that you know what you are doing. For the given task – formulating driving questions – your plan is well designed as it gives information about the class, the learning topic and has a clean driving question; although it’s long, there’s no doubt for anyone about what is the focus.

Good job, Sara!

Betina Astride

Portugal

12.06.2016

Assessment made By Marica Jurec date 12-06-2016 20:40 Comment Dear Sara,the idea for the project is excellent. I love it! :)And your driving question is great.I think that your students will enjoy working.Best regards,Marica, Croatia

1.6 P2P - Your PBL Design: Formulating your driving question: Pedro Costa's and Maria Morleo's driving questions.

sara_viotti — 2016-06-12 10:44:52 UTC

What happens in a chemical reaction?

The chemical reactions is one of the issues at all in the eleventh year, students may havebetween 15 and 18 years, or more.

It is intended that the students in a collaborative, team and research, understand what they are chemical reactions, what happens in a chemical reaction, types of chemical reactions and identify situations that are evident the different types of chemical reactions later the workwill be presented to the teacher and other students in the class.

Students will develop research skills, communication, collaborative work, among others.

Pedro Costa, Portugal

My answer
Hi, Pedro!
I'm Sara Viotti, from Italy and teach Spanish, so a totally different subject from yours. I suppose the project will be developed in a Chemistry lab, won't it? Anyway, I tried to search on Google and found many entries a student can use to answer the question. This is an example: http://crescentok.com/staff/jaskew/isr/chemistry/class11.htm
Anyway, if the groups drives the question without a pc and NT are used only after,in order to present results of their investigation or to "write" a learning diary as we are making here, I think your question is motivating. Pasa?
Greetings from Genoa,
Sara

Maria Morleo's driving question:
Help the teacher and at the party everyone will be happy with a straw!
We are in a first class of a primary school (6 years old).
Subject: maths;
Knowledge and skills required: to count to 10;
Goals: to reach and understand the concept of tens grouping the objects.

My answer:
children like coloured objects and are keen on learning by doing. When I_ was a child, I learned to count using "numeri in colore" and I suppose the strategy could be the same. The task your pupils are involved is realistic and they will engage to reach their goal!
Ciao,
Sara

In a PBL a, collaboration is like a good climate and water for a tree.

sara_viotti — 2016-06-14 19:13:23 UTC

2.4 Finding collaboration partners outside the classroom

sara_viotti — 2016-06-16 18:20:48 UTC

In my school we're very lucky: we collaborate with 4 different partners in Spain, Portugal, Belgium (E-Twinning) and Germany (a teacher of german organize a language exchange with a Gymnasium in Freiburg). I also can mention as orrganizations engaged with the school on a regular basis: University of Genoa, Prestige Idiomas Internatonal (Rosas, Spain), a school of English in Brighton (GB).As the main building the school owns is an ancient XVI century palace, we are involved in "Rolli days", when tourists can visit for free the Palazzi dei Rolli, in Genoa’s historic centre (late 16th and early 17th centuries) that represent the first example in Europe of an urban development project with a unitary framework. Furthermore, our students often take part in short periods of training in museums or attractions of the city. We organize study visits to IIT (Italian Insitute of Technology), we have been visited by the president of UNHCR and two italian different members of European Parliament. We have a good relationship with the Chamber of Commerce of Genoa and in these days we're managing the possibility to offer the visit of Villa Spinola to owners of the LAnterna's enter ticket.

2.5 Collaboration Tools

sara_viotti — 2016-06-16 19:07:12 UTC

In certain way, www.dropbox.com or other cloud spaces can be a way not only to storage intellectual products, but also to create a common space some students work together inside.

2.6 P2P - Building your PBL Learning Design

sara_viotti — 2016-06-19 10:28:41 UTC

This is the URL of my first Learning Design.
https://v.gd/N86Kfm
I suppose that in next activity students will have an overview of brainstorming about the issue and will discuss which idea they agree

3.1 Scaffolding for student Ownership and Independence

sara_viotti — 2016-06-24 11:40:55 UTC

Nearly 25 years ago I started to teach in a school where students used to learn listening to the teacher and taking notes. I knew this isn't the best way to motivate a group, more if you are teaching a language. I was experienced as a learner, so one day I decided to change the classroom setting: students had to to leave their beloved desks and put their chairs in a circle. I sat outside after giving each student a sheet I had prepared the day before: every one would have read instructions to tell a a story and the other member of the group were expected to react showing surprise, agree, disagree, curiosity, disappoint. Instead, I listened to monologues and there was any reaction. That day I felt frustrated and sad. Then, when at home, I refelected about my personal learning and remembered that not all people like public speaking and so perhaps it was better prepare the group to do it "secretly" in pairs, in a second step by groups and only after a long time insist on debating a topic all together. In fact, the fear disappeared time after time and two years later they could speak to all the class without feeling unconfortable. This skill stuck : when they were examined by teachers they didn't know, the were able to maintain a conversation about their study program.

Quiz: How Resilient Are You?You got: You are quite resilient!

sara_viotti — 2016-06-24 11:53:36 UTC

Resilience is a quality that helps us through daily stressors and major life crises. While some of our resilience is associated with inborn personality traits, there’s much you can do to develop your resilience level, and the resources below can help.
Your answers indicate that you have many traits and thinking habits that are associated with greater levels of resilience, which is a very good thing. You are likely more able to handle life's crises – both major and minor – and turn difficulties to your advantage, or at least weather them optimally. The resources below can help you to build even more resilience in your life, and help those in your life do the same.

3.2 Developing Student Resilience

sara_viotti — 2016-06-24 12:23:40 UTC

When a teacher decides that a student is not able to learn, he shows it in many ways: he/she ask him/her questions the student could find some difficults to answer, for example. Sometimes it's done to build intentionally a discrimination toward this student and increase the self confidence of other, the teacher thinks are more intelligent. It seems to be something belonging to the XVII century, but I've listened a teacher talking about a student, a sensible girl , directing to her classmates :"Have you noticed? I had always thought she was totally silly and today she has answered a question, although she can't speak French and probably she would be successfull in another field. Have you seriously consireded the possibility to enroll you to a cake design course, dear?". No words.

What a young student thinks about failure

sara_viotti — 2016-06-29 09:41:47 UTC

https://tackk.com/ym2ffu