Archive for 2010

Happy Xmas!

I already posted this song some years ago in order to wish you Happy Christmas and this year, I wanted to look for another one so as to do the same... impossible! I couldn't find a better one!.

So, here you are, again, This is Christmas (war is over), the most beautiful Christmas song I've ever heard.


- John Lennon Lyrics

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A piece of good news

Our collaborative blog Enredando en el Instituto has been given the second prize by the Ministry of Education through the Institute of Educational Tecnology, whose awards are considered to be some of the most prestigious ones in Spain regarding education and the use of ICT in the classroom.


It's for me a pleasure and an honour to share these awards with such good professionals and such great works. This prize makes me feel eager to go on working in the same way and get involved in similar projects, actually we are carrying out another one, this time on the nineteenth century, Seguimos enredando. Un paseo por el siglo XIX.

I would like to congratulate the other winners and take this opportunity to say thanks to my students for their great effort and my colleagues and friends José Luis and Rosa for sharing their experiences and ideas with me. I love working with them, we learn a lot and have fun together, and although it is much time consuming, we also know that is rewarding and really worthwhile.

Life is great! :))

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A brief introduction to Romanticism

A good summary about the main characteristics of Romanticism by my High School students.
A good start for our project





(By George, Nuria, Clara, Raquel, Pastor, Laura, Antonio, Cristina, Juan and Alejandro)


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Los versos de Miguel Hernández inundan la Red

Hoy se cumplen 100 años del nacimiento de Miguel Hernández, poeta al que hemos ido recordando en Internet con numerosas actividades. Hagamos que la Red se inunde con sus versos.

Nanas de la cebolla

La cebolla es escarcha
cerrada y pobre.
Escarcha de tus días
y de mis noches.
Hambre y cebolla,
hielo negro y escarcha
grande y redonda.

En la cuna del hambre
mi niño estaba.
Con sangre de cebolla
se amamantaba.
Pero tu sangre,
escarchada de azúcar,
cebolla y hambre.

Una mujer morena
resuelta en luna
se derrama hilo a hilo
sobre la cuna.
Ríete, niño,
que te traigo la luna
cuando es preciso.

Alondra de mi casa,
ríete mucho.
Es tu risa en tus ojos
la luz del mundo.
Ríete tanto
que mi alma al oírte
bata el espacio.

Tu risa me hace libre,
me pone alas.
Soledades me quita,
cárcel me arranca.
Boca que vuela,
corazón que en tus labios
relampaguea.

Es tu risa la espada
más victoriosa,
vencedor de las flores
y las alondras
Rival del sol.
Porvenir de mis huesos
y de mi amor.

La carne aleteante,
súbito el párpado,
el vivir como nunca
coloreado.
¡Cuánto jilguero
se remonta, aletea,
desde tu cuerpo!

Desperté de ser niño:
nunca despiertes.
Triste llevo la boca:
ríete siempre.
Siempre en la cuna,
defendiendo la risa
pluma por pluma.

Ser de vuelo tan lato,
tan extendido,
que tu carne es el cielo
recién nacido.
¡Si yo pudiera
remontarme al origen
de tu carrera!

Al octavo mes ríes
con cinco azahares.
Con cinco diminutas
ferocidades.
Con cinco dientes
como cinco jazmines
adolescentes.

Frontera de los besos
serán mañana,
cuando en la dentadura
sientas un arma.
Sientas un fuego
correr dientes abajo
buscando el centro.

Vuela niño en la doble
luna del pecho:
él, triste de cebolla,
tú, satisfecho.
No te derrumbes.
No sepas lo que pasa ni
lo que ocurre.



En la grabación del audio han participado profesores, miembros del equipo directivo, personal no docente, alumn@s, mis hijos (me hacía ilusión) y yo misma.
Muchísimas gracias a Marisol, Ramiro, Lola, Lola, Juan, María, Judith, Antonio, Yeray y a Aida.


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A prank phone call

Becky is sick of her school and decides to get rid of it. How? Well, she calls a demolition company in Dublin. She wants to demolish her school with her teachers in it!



What about you? Are you tired of your school and teachers?
(Via Tres tizas)

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Jason Mraz. I'm yours.

My very good friend Ana told me about this song and I loved it. Sing along and enjoy!


Song lyrics

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Ready to get started?

Hello everybody!
How are you? Very happy to get back to work after an enjoyable and restful holiday. What about you? Did you have a nice summer? Well, I hope so, because it's time to start working!. We've got many activities to do, graded readers to read and projects to work on!.
Do you remember our project on the 18th century? this year we'll focus on the 19th century, from 1800 to 1832 and we'll see some romantic writers such as Keats, Shelley, Lord Byron, Mary Shelly, Jane Austen, Allan Poe etc..
Would you like to see what we are going to do? Have a look at our wiki. I think it's going to be quite interesting , we'll have good fun and I'm sure you'll like it. By the way, here you are the new blog we've already set up for the Romantic age, cool, isn't it?.
So, are you ready to get started?

Let's begin with this reading comprehension. Don't forget to click on the picture in order to make it bigger and be able to do the exercise.

Are these statements true or false?

1. This is an e-mail that Nina is writing to Alison.
a)True b) False.

2. She has been to Rome recently and has just come back from Portugal.
a)True b) False.

3. She is quite disappointed about having spent all her savings on this trip to Portugal.
a)True b) False.

4. The beaches remain unspoilt by the tourism.
a)True b) False.

5. She thinks that Portuguese people are lovely but she doesn’t like their food very much.
a)True b) False.

6. She was in a hotel just five minutes’ walk from the beach and very close to the town.
a)True b) False.

7. She hardly ever went to the town in the evenings.
a)True b) False.

8. She is a bit worried about her friend since there’s no way to be in touch with her.
a)True b) False.

What about you? Where did you go in summer? What did you do? Did you have a good time? Come on, go ahead and leave your comments here!

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Summer holidays!

Look forward to a holiday!



We're all going on a summer holiday
no more working for a week or two.
Fun and laughter on our summer holiday,
no more worries for me or you,
for a week or two.

We're going where the sun shines brightly
we're going where the sea is blue.
we've all seen it on the movies,
now let's see if it's true.

Everybody has a summer holiday
doin' things they always wanted to
So we're going on a summer holiday,
to make our dreams come true
for me and you.
for me and you.

I'll see you in September, have a nice summer and take care!

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Robinson Crusoe in four pictures

I would like to post here all the works my students from Bachillerato have done about some English books we have read during the course.
Let's start with Robinson Crusoe



The written project

Some activities created by the students:


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We got it!


Yes, third prize for Enredando en el instituto at the Espiral Edublogs Awards 2010. Quite excited about it and very proud of our students who have made a great effort throughout the course. They have worked hard and they deserved it.



Rosa, José Luis and I went to Madrid to pick up the bronze spinning top and it was a fantastic experience:
. An opening interesting talk by Alfonso Alcántara and a very emotional ceremony on being given the awards.
. Marcos Cadenato from "Tres tizas" (blog I love and follow) was there, I didn't know him personally and I met him at last!
. Víctor Cuevas was over there as well! another blogger I have been following for a long time.
. I made new friends, lovely people and great teachers who are making a difference in their classes: Massimo Pennesi, Estrella López, Diego Sobrino, José Hernández, Ana Mariño, Juan Ignacio Castro and Manuel Alonso Rosa.

After this event and experience, there's absolutely no doubt about the right track to follow. Education is changing and fortunately, there's no turning back, it's unstoppable.

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Grammar exercises

Hi guys,
just for you: useful site with lots of exercises online.



Please, study for the exam!
See you on Monday!

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English workshop

The Primary School, José Moreno Villa held its cultural week by the end of April and I volunteered for giving an English workshop to kids aged 6 and 7.

The workshop consisted of creating a small English book and illustrating it with pictures of themselves, their family and favourite monster. No time for much more! As a warming activity they watched a Sesame street video clip and then, for two hours they were drawing and colouring while I was recording them in English.

We had great fun and the kids were so lovely! nothing to do with the students over 16 I'm used to, the fact is that you consume a lot of energy drawing their attention and getting them to carry out the different tasks but, no doubt, it is much more rewarding; they like everything you do, are eager to collaborate in all the activities you suggest and learn so quickly!

A very interesting and enjoyable experience!

1A






1B




Have a look!


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Keep in touch !

Dear students,
It was great to be your teacher. Thanks for sharing your work, feelings and emotions with me and letting me learn from you. We worked hard but we also had great fun, didn't we? Here, the making of as I promised you.
I wish you the best.
Take care!



Ok, Ok, you were right, I miss you ... a little bit ... well, a lot!

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They are worthwhile










I have received this award from three different blogs, Cerro de las lombardas, Valme's English Corner and Colonial Nuggets.

Thank you very much for two reasons:
The first one, for thinking that my blog is worth visiting.
The second one for giving me the opportunitty to meet other teachers and their interesting blogs!
And, last but not the least, let me congratulate you on your blogs, you are doing a great job!.

Well, it's my turn. I have to choose ten blogs, uf, quite difficult. Well, this is my list:

1. Blog en curso
2. Anna's blog
3. English for you, Rosa's blog
4. Enjoy learning English
5. English in Guía-Básico
6. Eoio's advanced students
7. Talk to learn: EOI Almeria conversation club.
8. Our Advanced English blog9. Inglés_turismo_09_10
10. Learning English in Brunete

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Storytelling: "Inviting friends home for a meal"



Background music: Les cordes de l'âme by Adragante from Jamendo

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Digital storytelling

It is the process of using computer-based tools to tell stories. Personal narratives are turned into multimedia experiences that can combine recorded voice, still and moving images, video, music or other different sounds.
Advancements in technology have given everyone the opportunity to be a digital storyteller. Stories can be created by people everywhere, on any subject, and shared all over the world.

How to create your digital story:

1. Select a topic and create a folder on your computer where you can store the materials you find.
2. Search for image and audio resources such as pictures, maps, photos, music, interviews, talks, sound effects etc...
3. Try to find informational content, which might come from websites, word documents, PowerPoint presentations...
4. Select the images, audio, content and text you would like to use for your digital story and think of the purpose of your story.
5. Write a script that will be used as narration in your digital story.
6. Use a microphone and record the narration of your script.
7. Import images, audio and narration into the video editing program you use.
8. Finish your digital story by saving it as a video file.

Websites of interest:

The Central for Digital Storytelling. An international non-profit research organization dedicated to assisting people in using digital media to tell stories. It provides many examples of them.

--> -->Resources on the topic of Digital Stories
Art, Storytelling, Technology an education

Free online resources for images, sounds.... Technology, techniques and resources.

Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling. PowerPoint slideshows.

Storytelling Web 2.0

Everything about Digital Storytelling. Information, resources, examples etc...





The background music in the story is Amazing Graceb by Adragante from Jamendo

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British Prime Ministers

Biographies written by my students for our project on the 18th century



In Spanish:


( By Ana, Elías, Nuria, Miguel Angel, Náyade, José Francisco y Noelia)





In Spanish:


( By Meliza, Iván, José Manuel, Rocío, Estela, Sandra y María)

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Videos in ISL (1)

A promise is a promise


Nice to meet you, Pirri. Thanks for taking part in the activity and congratulations! you sing beautifully!



They are amazing, don't you agree?

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Textbooks?...What for?

Do you really think that with textbooks in our classes, students would be able to imagine and create works like the ones below?
Students from the Vocational Course in Spanish Sign Language, as one of their final assignments, had to perform an English song in International Sign language.
An enjoyable way of learning English and adapted to their studies and needs:
. They learn vocabulary, grammar and expressions by working on the lyrics.
. They practise pronunciation.
. Finally, they perform the songs.

A real pleasure to share them with you.








Amazing, isn't it?

The other students' works coming soon.

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Los blogs y la Web 2.0 como herramienta didáctica

Mi experiencia en Sevilla ha sido una auténtica gozada. Por muchos motivos:

. Unos profesores estupendos deseosos de aprender.
. Conocer, por fin, a Mar Gallego, a quien llevo leyendo muchos años y por la que siento un gran respeto y admiración.
. Conocer también a Isabel y a Paco Ponce. Personas encantadoras. Junto con Mar, trabajamos el año pasado, en la puesta en práctica de una Webquest sobre Las mujeres en la Edad Media que ellos habían elaborado.
. Nuestras charlas, compartiendo inquietudes, intereses y experiencias. Parecíamos amigas de toda la vida.
. Mi paseo por El Real Álcazar de Sevilla con una guía de lujo.
. La hospitalidad de Mar y Alfredo.

He vuelto llena de vida y energía. ¡Gracias!

Aquí, os dejo la presentación del curso impartido en el CEP de Sevilla.


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ASL videos

Some useful videos for you:

Introductions

Signing goodbye

Colours in ASL

Are there many differences between American and Spanish sign language? And between American and International sign language?

Watch this fantastic video: "I Gotta Felling" by The Black Eyed Peas, performed in sign language by Stephen Torrence and Shawn Bracketty.



Now, choose a song you like, perform it in International sign language and record a video. What's this for? That'll be your next project!

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My wonders

Talking to students about the wonders of the modern world.



Well done!

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What makes you happy?

This is what I asked my students and this is what they answered:



Background music: Vortice dei cori celestiali by Alba Giordana from Jamendo

Thanks, José Luis, for inspiring me with your activity

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