No se habla español

Our Christmas Time...

2011-12-14T17:18:00.000-08:00

Some fun, discipline, faces, skills, work, beauty, effort, talent, devotion and more...

Lots of nice things have happened during these days. All are worth mentioning ...

Primary school teachers made an enormous, enchanting and very lovely traditional Nativity.

Pre-school made the lovely Christmas tree, and parents decorated their classrooms.

Every morning, we have prayed the "novena" with Christmas songs and Christmas carols. Kids have been rehearsing hardly for

our traditional Novena with kids´ families. At the same time, we have kept the GLM rigor towards academic demands... Living Christmas in our school implies all of these events.

So to all, Happy Merry Christmas... l wish the best to every single member of our community.

Here there are some picts about this time...

Liliana

GLM marching against injustice.

2011-12-06T15:10:00.000-08:00

High school students and teachers went east to Cafam and returned to the school. They met the preschool, primary school students, teachers and members of the community in front of the gym. This unity revealed the desire for peace and justice for our country.

Photos taken by Fernando Diaz del Castillo.

Fernando and technology classes in 4th Grade...

2011-12-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

As planned at the beginning of the school year, technology classes started for our children in elementary school . Quite an event to seeFernando teaching children to type. A wonderful moment for them and for us. Congratulations! Lili, December 4th, 2011

10th Graders and Tati rocked!

2011-11-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

10th Graders and Tati rocked! They showed their ability to teach...4th Graders and l were witness and enjoyed their activities...Always experience goes beyond what is planned or designed. 10th graders came to our classes in 4Th grade to teach notions related to inner and outer beauty, spiritual and physical youth, ambition and corruption. They were fully engaged in their role as teachers. They prepared their lesson taking various factors into account: students' lexicon, activities 4Th Graders might get involved with, language use, and interaction. They even invited me to go to their classroom to know whether their ideas were appropriate or not, to ask questions about the kids and their learning styles, and all this after having their work reviewed by Tatiana. l was totally wowed! l was proud of my students and Tatis's. They all were involved in the activities. The thing that called my attention the most was their attitude. An attitude willing to listen, to observe, to read what is not written or explicit, an attitude of a whole group willing to learn. As a teacher l can say it was refreshing to see the didactics and games that the 10Th Graders used to introduce students into these notions, to practice and to help them to build up meanings. It was rewarding to hear some of the 10Th Graders saying "l'm surprised ... these kids are really good using English...they are way better than I was when l was in 4Th". It was great to hear my students saying "we love 10Th graders, they are so kind and creative, it is nice that we can have different activities, it is nice to have fun while we learn... it is super that we can work with our friends and learn".My comments about this experience are not enough... today for example l decided to include one of their games into my daily routines, it is just so enriching!!! l thank Tatiana and all 10Th graders for their work and company. A new relationship emerged from this experience. l hope it continues growing, and to have the opportunity to keep learning from each other. My 4Th Graders and l are very excited because you will be soon attending to our big time innovative Talent Show.Liliana Colmenares Baena

Speaking with 4th grade

2011-11-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

So my 10th graders began their teaching experience last week. Poor kids! They were so afraid of the 4th graders. I went with the first group and feared for them. Their voices trembled when they introduced themselves, but despite their obvious shaking they kept on going as if they were meant to be teachers. I loved seeing the little ones with their eyes wide open and waiting to hear what those "big" kids wanted to tell them in those hilarious costumes. Then, surprisingly enough, my kids became natural teachers. What took me so much time, they learnt in 20 minutes!

So how did I come up with the idea? Easy! I found out that I was going to be both, their English and Speaking teacher. Tell you the truth? I was afraid. How could I make the kids see me as another teacher from another lesson? I considered as far as wearing a wig! So in that wig-moment it came to me like a lightning bolt: they should be the teacher (and I should never wear a wig!)! I told the kids that they will be teaching 4th graders and they should use the literary concepts that we would talk about in English class (which was actually a double win for me: they would reinforce their understanding of literature as well as their communicative skills at once). So they began. All of their presentations are unique ideas that they came up with. I just said: "Choose one (or two) of these concepts and teach it to little kids". A bit whimsical I know, but my kids indulge me.

They began their teaching career last Friday and hopefully they will practice their English not only with the teachers but among themselves. Though we got a few penalties for speaking Spanish, I say both lessons rocked! As soon as Nando teaches me how to download the videos from the camera, I'll post them so you can go "Aaaww!" just as Lili and I did.

Challenges in Bilingual Teaching: a Case in California

2011-10-25T13:43:00.001-07:00

"English-Learning Students Far Behind Under English-Only Methods" by Sarah Garland

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/25/english-learning-students_n_1030990.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

Garland, Sarah. "English-Learning Students Far Behind Under English-Only Methods."Huffington Post. 25 Oct 2011: n. page. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/25/english-learning-students_n_1030990.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003>.

Time

2011-10-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

I wish I had the time to explore and learn as I want. . .

I have asked myself at all times, what to do with time when it is so crucial in every aspect of my life. I need time to work, to have fun, to spend with others, to evolve as a person and as a professional, to fulfill my basic needs . . .and. . . all those emerging activities that appear in the twenty first century . . . mobile phone, internet, mail, blog, site, Skype, . . . that are adding time to my life, rather than replacing other previous ones I still have to do. Even worse, I do not have the energy I used to, in order to eventually say, I can do the old and the new things.

Once I start to categorize the old and the new endeavors, I get caught in a spiral slide where I don’t know what is old and what is new, what is urgent and what is essential, what is my job and what is someone else’s. In fact, what I somehow face is that what I’m doing is not what has to be considered, but how I’m doing it. Therefore, the time issue turns out to be a matter of efficiency. I have wondered and explored and I found a very practical source to aid me in organizing myself. I am including it for the readers who want to follow the basic seven steps to use time efficiently.

Efficient Use of Your Time

1. Save Time In Your Daily Schedule
Use time waiting in line or waiting for appointments to catch up on material you need to read. Use the technology of today to increase your productivity. Consolidate errands so that you make only one trip. Look at activities that fill your day and determine ways they could be done more efficiently or eliminated. By shaving minutes off of several tasks throughout the day, you can free up a larger block of time later.

2. Underpromise Throughout The Day
As you plan your day, allow yourself to lower your expectations and how many commitments you make for yourself. This will create less pressure and increase your energy throughout the day.

3. Underschedule Yourself Daily
As you plan your time, schedule half the time you have in a day. For example, during a 40 hour work week, only schedule 30 hours per week. This gives you 10 "extra" hours to handle unplanned contingencies. This will also allow for spontaneous events and for thinking, planning and other creative activities.

4. Outsource
Outsource activities that will limit your efforts and energy so that you can leverage your time.

5. Schedule Daily Appointments With Yourself
This will help you to work on the projects that are most important to you. Consult with yourself on where you want to direct your energy and time.

6. Set Time Limits
Realize how valuable your time is and quantify what you are going to accomplish with a time deadline or budget. When speaking on the phone, tell the person you are speaking with up front how much time you have for the conversation. Do not go over your time limit. Make phone calls right before lunch or at the end of the day so that the other person is motivated to end them more quickly. Schedule appointments with start and end times.

7. Learn To Say No
Learning to say no to nonessential tasks (and sometimes even essential tasks) is important for you to learn to do. Saying no becomes especially valuable with people who monopolize your time at the office. Set your boundaries and standards and stick to them.

http://www.garfinkleexecutivecoaching.com/articles/sevenwaystowardefficientuseofyourtime.html.

These considerations may certainly provide anyone with tools to handle time and tasks in a hierarchical and relevant manner. Any other thought to organize one’s time?

Mahler for Everyone

2011-10-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

After being this weekend in a splendorous concert at Jorge Eliecer Gaitan Theater, it was impossible not to look deeply about Mahler’s life and his masterpiece Symphony No. 8, and to understand his influence and importance in classical music. While reading about this Symphony which is called the “Symphony of a Thousand” because it involves many artists in scene, made me understand why it was the one of the biggest projects for our Colombian musicians and how their consistent work and effort makes them exceeded our expectations. From so many things that impressed me, one of them was the passion of the orchestra’s conductor the Mexican Enrique Arturo Diemecke that was radiated along the concert represented by his movements, the way he introduced each of the instruments and how he joined all of them, including the different voices, as a whole melody. I really want to invite you to have a look about this artist and his touchable masterpiece and enjoy it, even if you did not have the privilege of enjoying our musicians’ talent and Mahler’s Legacy. Because as Diemecke said at the end of the concert, “The essence of the artist is not only what he has done, but the fact that it remains forever.”

http://www.8notes.com/biographies/mahler.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._8_%28Mahler%29

http://www.filarmonicabogota.gov.co/web2011/mahler.html

Guatavita's Trip Second Grade

2011-10-06T05:19:00.000-07:00

Guatavita is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. It has an altitude of 2688 m.s.l and the temperature is of 14 °C. Guatavita in Chibcha tongue means end of farming or mountain range point. Guatavita is an architectonic heritage with 17 small squares and the mythical lovers bridge, which was constructed in 1990 to replace the old one that lies at the bottom of the Tominé dam. It is located 75 km away from Bogota on the way to Tunja. At kilometer 35 you have to take the way to Sesquile and Guatavita. In Guatavita you can find wool products, baskets, cooper, gold, and silver items, hammocks and beautiful handcrafts.

The Tomine dam is also located there. It was constructed over the religious city of the Muiscas, and it is important because it generates energy for the area. In Tominé it is possible to practice sailing, water ski and taking walks around the dam.

Guatavita lagoon. It was the sacred lake and the central point for the Muisca (Chibchas) ceremonies. In this place, the Muiscas adored the CHIE goddess, or goddess of water. Guatavita lagoon is located at the “peñas blancas” mountain near the Guatavita town, and was discovered by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada in the year 1.537.

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit this small and beautiful place with my students in Second Grade. It was truly an unforgettable experience since it was their first trip to the countryside that lasted two days. They were really excited, anxious, and nervous.

The trip started on Thursday when they arrived to school with their huge camping bags. They had brought their thermos, sleeping bags, clothes, sunblock, flashlight, towel, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. It was funny to see those small kids carrying those enormous bags!

DAY 1: Teachers and guides were ready. We were in total 10 adults that were going to take care of them. We got on the bus at 8:30 am and arrived at the Portillo Club at 10:00 am. We picked up our bags and organized them in a room. Then, we had a delicious and nutritious snack. Later on, the guides explained to us the plans for the trip. We were going to start with some activities to integrate both grades (2A and 2B). Kids were taken to the camping zone to learn how to set up the tent in which they were going to sleep. All were paying attention and following the guides’ instructions. It was a challenge for them to do exactly what they were told to do. Once the tents were ready, we went to the town to have The Amazing Race. It was an activity in which students were divided in groups to look for the answers of some established questions. Students were like crazy running all over the town trying to find places, people, and answers. At the end, two groups won the race. One of them was mineJ.

Our next activity was to create an object that represented a chosen legend using clay. Kids were very creative. Their inventions were awesome and they were very happy. After it, they went to some shops to buy handcrafts. Everyone spent their 15.000 pesos in presents for their families.

At night, the tents were ready for the kids to go to sleep. Kids were tired after the long day full of activities and fun. They put on their pajamas and slept until the next day.

DAY 2: Kids woke up very early in the morning to do some exercises with the guides while the teachers tried to sleep a little bit more. Mission impossible! We could not. The day started with an energetic breakfast. Then we organized the bags and the tents and left them in the bus. We were going to Guatavita lake and then to school.

They arrived to the park and walked long meters until they finally saw the beauty of the lake surrounded by all kinds of green colors. Students asked for a wish and sang a song which they previously rehearsed with the guides. At the end of the journey, Zambo gave us a nice t-shirt that we all wore.

Next stop: school. Students, guides and teachers had an exhausting but marvelous trip.

A case for Doodlers

2011-09-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

I watched an interesting video on TED about people who doodle during lectures or in a class. It brings up the question of how we should respond to our own students who like to doodle. I've always been a kind of doodler, and I agree that it helps you think, especially when listening to lectures you know are important but frankly are boring. So how should we treat our students with respect to this? Our tendency as teachers might be to demand undivided attention, but when we do so we might actually be demanding no attention. Another thing to consider is, where to draw the line (pun intended) between doodling for active listening, and drawing in class because of ADD or because the student is shutting out and not paying attention. This is one of those grey-area type questions that we shouldn't take lightly, considering it's tied directly to the process of learning itself. Your thoughts…

Here's a link to the video on TED if any of you are interested.

http://www.ted.com/talks/sunni_brown.html

TAYRONA PARK...

2011-09-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

Some information I found and some details I know, for all of us to be inspired in our wonderful nature and for us to plan next vacation time!

The foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta submerge into the sea in the Tayrona Park, with diverse and different beautiful beaches, such as Concha, Chengue, Gairaca, Neguanje, Cinto, Guachaquita and Palmarito.

Tayrona Park is one of those tropical paradises idealized by literature and cinema. Its white beaches below the exotic humid forests make the Tayrona Park one of Colombia’s most visited Nature Parks.

As you walk along the beaches, you find yourself in a complex system of rock paths, which connect a network of indigenous villages to the coasts of the Sierra Nevada. Pueblito is one of the most important town centers of craftwork, as well as fishing and farming.

The cabins called “ecohabs” in Cañaveral preserve the characteristics of Tayrona tribe architecture. In Arrecifes, there are also camping zones for you to enjoy.

Isn’t this place wonderful? Some ideas for you to dream, rest and live…..

The Beatles and grammar

2011-08-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

I just came across this interesting article, check it out!

"I Me Mine: The Beatles and Their Pronouns"

Zimmer, Ben. "I Me Mine: The Beatles and Their Pronouns." New York Times 29 08 2011: 1. Web. 29 Aug 2011. <http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/i-me-mine-the-beatles-and-their-pronouns/?smid=tw-nytimesmusic&seid=auto>.

Wondering about English

2011-08-29T05:05:00.000-07:00

Until I began to teach, I actually never thought of grammar rules or categories... English just came naturally to me. I learnt to use the language since I was very little. I used to play using English, even if my friends didn't know how to... It is a bit weird, I know, but there was something indescribable about using a strange language with a different melody when creating different scenarios and characters...

I've always been enchanted by language and melody. My mom used to read poetry to me every night before bedtime... with her reading I learnt there were people who created fantastic stories as I tried to do in my own games. I started to believe that language was much more than just a communication. Learning English gave me the opportunity to reinforce my belief. I could watch Disney and Warner Bother movies and get their jokes… actually laugh at them. Although Bugs Bunny is quite funny in Spanish, his character is much more fun in English. Understanding different cultures (like Bugs Bunny's or Mickey's) through English was almost as natural as learning the language, and I realized that my own culture, my own way of expression was something to be treasured. Perhaps that's why I studied literature and I just had an epiphany through this blog, who would have guessed? (hahaha)

Of course, the first English book that captured me was The Catcher in the Rye. I was at that age... that terrible age. But it was Shakespeare who won my heart. I read Hamlet in high school, and at first it was hard, but somehow I fell deeply in love with his iambic pentameter (yet another epiphany... I'm a geek). However, it was until my university years that I understood that each language has a defined structure that gives a unique melody to each story, character, theme or conflict. For this reason I began my long journey with Poetry... If I think about it, I mean really make myself remember why I decided to teach what I teach, to study what I did and keep doing so, I can affirm that it was learning about different cultures what pushed me towards literary studies. I couldn't have done that if I hadn't learnt English.

It's a bit weird to write about these sort of things and not have my mind wondering about... and perhaps those who read my "stream of consciousness" will think that I have made no sense at all, but I do wish that just one of you accompanies me in this sort of wondering...

Common Grammar Mistakes

2011-08-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

"Bugaboo is from the archaic term bogy boo -- a term for a hobgoblin or anything that haunts, bothers, bugs, harasses, irks, annoys, or frightens, like the bogeyman. "The Bugaboo Review" is a lighthearted examination of usage, grammar, and spelling mistakes, the bugaboos of the English language." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sue-sommer/common-grammar-mistakes_b_935609.html#s338488&title=laylie

Sommer, Sue. “Common Grammar Mistakes (PHOTOS).” The Huffington Post 25 Aug 2011. Web. 25 Aug 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sue-sommer/common-grammar-mistakes_b_935609.html#s338488&title=laylie

The Most Useful Things I Learned in School

2011-08-24T05:12:00.000-07:00

At University I studied Spanish Philology (linguistics and literature). Later, I got a graduate degree in Education focusing on technology and innovation. You would guess that my English, Spanish and Computer Science classes at San Carlos school would have been the most useful for my life after school. After all, in Spanish and English I learned about grammatical categories, literary movements, grammar and poetry. Father Sebastian taught me (to my own despair) how to graph sentences. Ms. De Bedout taught me how to read Shakespeare out loud. Marilyn taught me how to write complete sentences and paragraphs. And a few other teachers taught me how to create documents using Wordstar and WordPerfect (both disappeared now) or create simple programs in Logo.

However useful those teachings were for my later studies, they were not the most useful. There are two things that have made a huge difference in my life, and none of them relate to content knowledge or specific academic areas. They are two skills that took years of practice: English and touch typing.

Even today, I snobbishly tend to assume that everyone knows English and I am often surprised when people are unable to understand things I send them in English. But that's me. And my attitude is certainly snobbish and discriminating. (I am working on it). Nevertheless, English has opened many doors to me, especially doors of knowledge and learning. I continually read books and articles in English, watch videos and learn from materials I find online. And most of them are in English. I cannot imagine my life if I were not able to understand the language of Scott Fitzgerald and Paul Auster. I could not have studied at one of the top world universities, traveled at leisure or had many of the friends with whom I often share. I would not even be able to play the games I like the most. English provided me a competitive advantage that sadly few people have. Do not underestimate your knowledge of English! It will open many doors and opportunities.

Touch typing was one of the classes I most hated in high school. We sat in front of typing machines and practiced writing with all ten fingers. Yes, type writers, not computers. I am that old! I never took it seriously until I started writing my thesis at University. I forced myself to touch type and got to writing around fifty words per minute by the end of the ordeal. After that, typing quickly has been the other great advantage in my professional life. I can take very good notes in meetings, take dictation and produce documents faster than others. And most importantly, my hands are able to move almost as fast as my thinking. I feel bad for people I see typing with two fingers. How can you put together complex ideas if your hands go far slower than your mind?

The two most important skills I learned in school were not academic and did not even directly relate to my career: they were English and typing. Don't miss out on taking advantage of the opportunities offered at GLM to learn both. Yes, both.

ENGRISH

2011-08-16T05:44:00.000-07:00

Are we teaching our students to speak "Engrish"?

Check this out: http://www.engrish.com/

Although this is a funny, hilarious page, it is also scary in many ways. Unlike the Western cultures, ours is certainly closer to the North American, and certainly closer to it in terms of the common roots that our languages have. This should mean that teaching English is easier for us than it is for those living on the other side of the globe. Nonetheless, this proximity in distance does not guarantee that teaching the language becomes an easy task.

Probably not as terrible as some of the signs wrongly translated by the Chinese, we do find that our students (and many other English speakers as well) directly translate their thoughts and words, one by one, from Spanish to English. It is then one of our tasks to prevent this from happening. To avoid the funny making-up of words and expressions, and to somehow make our students grasp the whole range of syntactic and grammatical functions that may allow them to think in English, not in Engrish.

It would be interesting to begin this academic year by having our students reflect on this, and by coming up with a list of such words and expressions that make us all laugh but that should also make us stop and think and possibly change.

Have a great week, and an amazing first week of classes!

Facing the Digital World

2011-08-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

It seems like a good moment to reflect upon technologies, how to use them in class, and to what extent are we willing to move from our comfort zone and face the digital world. I guess we should just try and adjust the traditional to the new, and find ourselves a spot in between where we can still do what do the most: teach and learn.

I hope this site becomes valuable and interesting in time, and that we can all build it together!