Term Three Projects

Term three projects are ready to go! Please check them out here.

Thanks to all our instructors for their thoughtful and creative planning.

Jeddah TVTC English Program: Week 16 Football match Class B103 VS Class B104

Jeddah TVTC English Program: Week 16 Football match Class B103 VS Class B104: Today's match ended 3 - 0. Class B103 won. All the goals were scored during the second match. It was an exciting match to watch. Both t...

Reflecting on the process of learning by examining students portfolios

        
                                   Hussain and Ghassan interview week 16 term two 2013

Class A304

       As we are moving towards the end of semester 7, we would like to look at samples of our students portfolios. Two from each class. One that represents the best and  the other that  represents the weakest example. We all know that students portfolios are more than a collection of handouts and  homeworks. There are many skills and tools and habits of learning,  that students can learn and practice, while developing their portfolios.

Week 16 would be good time to collect , think and reflect on students process of learning.

The objective behind this process is to:

1- Reflect on students portfolios and see how we have developed, over our three years of experience into the program, and what we can do better next semester.

2- Learn from students work and share it with the rest of the staff.

2- Understand how students are taking responsibility and ownership  for their learning, and what we are going, and what we can do to help?

4- Evaluate how our understanding of the students portfolio is evolving through three years in the life of Jeddah English language program.

5- Share best learning and teaching practices regarding students portfolios.

6- learn from the best to help the weakest.

7- think collectively and individually on the different strategies we used, or can use to improve the effective use of students portfolios.

We wish that we can address this topic in our weekly curriculum development workshop. We will try to gather our thoughts and reflections by the end of week 16.

Being reflective is a major element of Interlink's philosophy. Real education takes place when we all can reflect on what we have learned in the program.( students, teachers, educators ).

Keep up the fantastic work. We are almost there. Our expectations are high, and we also want to keep it systematic,  realistic, pragmatic, meaningful , enjoyable , and  memorable.

Links for further reading:

• What is the process portfolio?
• Authentic Assessment Toolbox 
• Portfolios for students growth 
• Looking collaboratively at students work: an essential toolkit
• ePortfolios: What,why and How
• How to create a personal learning Portfolio for Students
• Samples of High school students ePortfolios 
• Using E-Portfolios in classroom
• Students Portfolios as an Assessment tool
• How to create an online portfolio using blogspot.com- blogger
• How to create an online portfolio using blogger. youtube video

Hussian Batargi Portfolio 2013 Writing B304

Albaha English program Students video on youtube

Visiting Mr. Imran Classroom - communication teacher - beginner level

     We are at end of week 15 of our curriculum development workshop, Mr. Emran talks about his teaching classroom experience durning term 2. He teaches communication to beginners: classes A303 and A304. Below is a recording of his talk.

Mr. Imran playing football with his class

Reflecting on our students portfolios

     

Collaboration is power, isolation is weakness.

     We started using students portfolios from day one, since 2010. Every semester, we would take a look and see what was done right, so we can share it, and improve on it,  and how we can reinforce it. What we can do to improve and deepen our understanding of students portfolios?

a teacher checking a students portfolio

      The idea was new to the students, and to the teachers.  We do not have a guide book for learners or teachers to show us the concept and the strategies and steps needed to develop a real authentic portfolio that reflects students effort to learn the language. We did not have an intensive course on the subject.

a teacher asking questions while checking the students portfolio

We bought some books, read articles, and we developed forms and templates to help guide students and teachers through the process. We also introduced the concept and the forms on week one on our orientation program. That also helped.

portfolio review day

      Then, we started a blog for our students in the program to help with the learning process. We have made few you-tube videos for students; on how to develop the portfolio? and how to avoid weak points, we keep seeing in the previous portfolios. We play this videos on the orientation week to help students prepare their  portfolios early in the program. Some students watch these videos before joining the program and prepare it by day one. We collected evidence and reflected and moved forward.

a student giving a 5 minute presentation

samples of students portfolio

 portfolio review day

      We also kept samples of students portfolios in our curriculum kitchen for new teachers to look at and get  an idea of the basic parts of a students portfolio., and for us to reflect on, as we try to built a learning culture in the program. We learn from each other, and we built on what we achieve and move forward.

portfolio review day

        Students are encouraged and engaged in learning by using project-based- learning and students centered- learning. teachers and students are given ample time to learn and practice without the stress or pressure of completing a course textbook. We do not have a big written test that students and teachers struggle to prepare for. We believe in continuous assessment. Students learn by doing and by being engaged in meaning full learning projects.

Portfolio Review:

         usually at the end of each term, all students get their portfolio checked. Teachers sit one-on-one with each student to assist and evaluate students progress. Teachers ask questions while reviewing the portfolio to check and analyze students strength and weaknesses, and see if the students met the term objectives. Some teachers like to keep the portfolio review short others prefer it long. The teacher fills out a form at the end.

students preparing for the presentation day

       One of the challenges we faced is that some students wait just hours or days before the portfolio review to start organizing their portfolio, or even copy or borrow work from other students. The question is how to prevent this? How to organize a weekly portfolio review, to try and cure this problem at an early stage, and not wait until the final days and hours of the term.

        as we move towards year 1014. We still believe that students portfolios are an important tool for learning and developing learning strategies, skills , and new habits of thinking and reflecting. Teachers play a major role in encouraging and coaching students on how to learn and how to orgainze their learning of the language, online and off-line. We continue to develop the tools for learning, and we still have a long way to go, and our expectations are high, but we try to be realistic and pragmatic. 

 students mind- map Semester 6 - student learned about mind-mapping

 in our program and won the mind- map contest

a photo taken from our weekly curriculum development workshop

Here are twelve good things We saw in  some of   our students portfolios:

1- Every page has the main information ( date - week - term - subject - topic )
2- Students work drafts and and final work
3- Mind - maps  and flash cards of new words learned in the program
4- students projects
5- a table of content and a file cover and binders
6- real and authentic evidence of learning
7- students profile ( short CV )
8- The educational objectives of his language level.
9- Students actual work ( writings  - CDs ) students personal effort to learn ( maps - tables - charts)
10 - Well organized portfolio that reflect students thinking skills and good learning habits.
11- Students ability to give a short explanation or a short presentation on what he learnt while developing his portfolio according to his level.
12- Students ability to answer questions on their work in the portfolio, according to his level.

Core projects for Term 3 for all levels

Core projects for Term 3 for all levels

Communications

Zeta- Technology

Eta- Environment

Theta- Global Communications

Reading/Writing

Zeta- Autobiography

Eta- Biography

Theta- Culture and Identity

Visiting Mr. Eyaaz class (A103) reading and writing teacher- beginner level

      I visited Mr. Eyaaz class A103. He was expecting me. I only spend an hour, and I was impressed by his approach and classroom management skills. Everyone looked happy and engaged,  in their writing activity. I talked with Mr. Eyaz on how his students were progressing. The classroom is a writing workshop. I recorded  his talk during our weekly curriculum development workshop, at the end of term two, week fourteen.

 every student chooses his reading book 

students writing projects are posted on the classroom wall week by week

students engaged in writing their autobiography 

the class is a writing workshop

students work posted on the classroom wall from day one

 Group mind-map

all students were writing and using their dictionaries

some of his students creative work

Teacher Eyaaz on the left giving the talk

a group of students recording a presentation on traveling

Mr. Eyaaz playing football with his class A104

What is CEFR ?

CEFR stands for Common European Frame of Reference

CEF

• It was first published in 2001 in English and French. 
• The Common European Framework provides a common basis for the elaboration of language syllabuses, curriculum guidelines, examinations, textbooks, etc. across Europe.
• It contains values and attitude that can be traced back to 16 century of the Protestant reformers.
• the role of the learner is central.
• the role of the teacher is to organise , motivate and direct learning in a disciplined , cooperative atmosphere.
• It is now used in many countries around the world
• Uses of the CEFR:
 A- Setting realistic learning targets for a particular group of students

B- determining the language ability needed to do a particular activity

C- designing language tests

D- comparing language qualifications

E- reflecting on and describing teaching practice

•  Who uses the CEFR?

          - Curriculum developers 

          -  Teacher trainers

          - Teachers

         -  Learners

         - Exam boards

         -  Publishers

Links:

• CEFR full text PDF 
• International language  standards
• The teacher's guide the Common European Framework
• CEFR on wikipedia  
•  CEFR portfolio Task Level A1
•  Council Of Europe Main website/linguistic 
• European Language portfolio
•  The CEFR and language examinations: a toolkit
• CEFR Mindmap: summarizes all the key principles, practical tools, key dates and outcomes 
• Language Self-Assessment Grid 
•  Presentation to the English Profile Seminar, Cambridge, February 2007 by John Trim
• English profile - CEFR for English

Videos:

• What is English Profile? 
•  Critique of the CEFR (video 1 of 4 ) John Trim
•   Critique of the CEFR (video 2 of 4 ) John Trim
•    Critique of the CEFR (video 3 of 4 ) John Trim
•     Critique of the CEFR (video 4 of 4 ) John Trim
•  a ten minute introduction to CEFR - short talk
• Understanding and using the CEFR for teaching and learning - 47 minute webinar

Books:

• The Common European Framework of Reference by Michael Byran and Lynne Parmenter 
•  Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment
•  The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR): A GUIDE FOR CANADIAN EDUCATORS

• Diagnosing Foreign Language Proficiency: The Interface Between Learning and assessment

   

  
  

Mind-map contest term 2 Semester 7

Students mind-map contest

Term 2 Week 13

 5 Dec. 2013

 2 Safer. 1435

        This week was the due date for choosing the best mind-maps. During the weekly workshop session, all the mind-maps were posted on the wall in the curriculum kitchen room for all teachers to see and choose. The best group mind-map and the best individual mind-map. All the teachers voted for the best one.

       We introduced the idea of mind-mapping from term one week one. teachers used flip-chart paper for students mind-maps as well as A4 and A3. Through our experience in the program, we notice, that most students lack important skills and tools to learn. Our overall goal is to teach then to learn how to learn.

      This is second time we held this contest in our program. Mind-mapping is a  skill needed to learn any language. We hope through this contest we can share and learn how teachers and students are working together to develop this important skill. We want our students to use this skill not only to participate for this contest, but something they can use, after this program.Here are samples of the mind-maps that were nominated for the contest.