Video Podcast for EFL Students

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=s5XyCm9RUgw

I have to admit that I am not good enough using technology, specially video editing software, but I tried to do y very best.

1.Description of intended students.

My students are 8th Spanish native speakers graders that are learning English as a foreign language. They are quite motivated to learn not only the language but also the culture that United States has. So, in order to help them to learn I planned this activity.

2.Description of Language Objective and Content Objectives for the individual podcast.

Languages Objectives: Provide the students the opportunity to listen to a native speaker, and to pay attention about what she says in relation to Thanksgiving, and based on the information they are provided, they have to write the answers for some questions. Then, they have to share with their classmates
Content objective.
Students will be able to appreciate the traditions of United Sates, understanding that they reflect the identity of each person that live there.

3.Description of the elements that make the podcast comprehensible.

I do think that this podcast is going to catch the students’ attention, because as they are interested in knowing about American parties and celebrations, they can be motivated easier, even though if the video they are shown is presented by an American native speaker. I do think that students are more motivated to learn and to participate in the activities the teacher plans for them, when they are expose to an authentic situation and the language is spoken by a native speaker.

4.Descriptions of the strategies that we have covered that have informed the choices that you have made with the podcast and how you will use it with students.

Based on the observations that I have made and also in the book I have read, I think that when the teacher has high expectations on his/her students they can notice this and feel themselves motivated to learn and do the things they are supposed to do. With this video I hope my students be able to understand a little more about American celebrations and also what this celebration means for American people. I also want them to improve their listening comprehension, by listening to an English native speaker.

Student Teaching and Job Shadowing Practicum at Sacajawea Middle School.

I did my teacher shadowing at Sacajawea Middle School. Supposedly I was going to work with the ESL teacher, but she already had three volunteers in her classroom. So, she decided that the best place for me to stay in was with the World Languagues Teacher NAMI MEIER. so, I was assigned to her classroom. She speaks Japanese, French, German, Spanish and English. The students whom I was working with were all native English speakers, and as they were studying Spanish the teacher was always motivating them through funny reviews, games and group work, in order to help her students to learn in a better way. She also knows that the students are able to acquire a language faster only if they can understand and practice it. For this reason, she was always motivating the students to participate in the class, she wanted to take advantage of my presence in the classroom, because they had not had the opportunity to work with a native Spanish speaker before; and as soon as they began to lose their shyness, they started to ask me questions in Spanish. They were asking me all the time; how can I say this? What does it means?

One thing that caught my attention in this school was that on november 20-26 it was conducting "Student Led Conferences". I suppose that you are wandering what Student Led Conference is about. The information that I got will help everyone understand why and what students are for. Students are doing Student Led Conference so that they are clear on the learning objectives and how well they are learning them, and what they need to improve on. It also brings parents into students learning process. It is for students to see that they control the learning and it is not just something that is happening to them.
I found that this is a good idea, because it helps students be aware and in control of their learning.

I really enjoyed to be in this school. The students were so kind to me, they made me feel so comfortable. I spent a very good time there. I learnt a lot from the teacher, she was pretty awesome.