segunda-feira, 23 de agosto de 2010
Cognitive media
"This website is designed to show what Cognitive Media does rather than to explain the purpose behind our actions. A downloadable PDF will be available shortly to explore the theory of why and how we do what we do."
sábado, 14 de agosto de 2010
Creatives wanted
I´ve published this on the Cultura Inglesa Teacher´s Portal, replying to Guilherme Pacheco´s editorial of this Month. Guilherme works at the Teacher Training Division.
I think it was worth it sharing my post:
Hello Guilherme!
One of the possible answers to the question you raised: "How can we help these children to foster their imaginative growth?" crossed my mind last week.
Last Tuesday, I had my first LANGUAGE STUDIES I lesson at PUC, with professor Regina Lucia Montedonio Borges. During the lesson, among other things, we discussed What is Linguistics, what is language and What is Grammar. After studying the plethora of information in all the texts we are supposed to read before next lesson, two quotations called my attention:
"When we study human language, we are approaching what some might call the "human essence", the distinctive qualities of mind that are, so far as we know, unique to man." Noam Chomsky, Language and Mind
"I feel very strongly about change. As teachers we must believe in change, must know it is possible, or we wouldn´t be teaching - because education is a constant process of change. Every single time you "teach" something to someone, it is ingested, something is done with it, and a new human being emerges. I can´t understand why people aren´t dying to learn, why it isn´t the greatest adventure in the world - because it´s the process of becoming. Every time we learn something new, we become something new." (Living, Loving and Learning - Leo F. Buscaglia)
There are two crucial movements to think creatively: the divergence - to amplify perspectives, to make different associations, to resort to new concepts - and the convergence - the focus on the practical ways to apply new things. The less creative ones resort to common answers. Whereas, the more creative ones, dare with alternative answers, which are not always aproved by the majority. The creative mind sees similarities where others only see differences. The good news is that we can change our behaviour pattern.
Some ways to give room for the creativity is: look for analogies, let the mind lose itself in its thoughts and look for new experiences.Studying always helps, because it amplifies the choices of information that we can recombine."Creativity has more to do with the way you absorve and connect information than with gift." Says the adman with a Major in History Flávio Cordeiro, quoted in an article published in Época magazine: "Creatives Wanted".(Revista Época 2 Agosto 2010 Nº 637).
What I mean is: teachers must be as curious as the children they teach. Why do we partialy lose this intrinsic curiosity and lust for life that children have? This is something we should hold dear for the rest of our lives, to become better persons, therefore, better teachers.
I think it was worth it sharing my post:
Hello Guilherme!
One of the possible answers to the question you raised: "How can we help these children to foster their imaginative growth?" crossed my mind last week.
Last Tuesday, I had my first LANGUAGE STUDIES I lesson at PUC, with professor Regina Lucia Montedonio Borges. During the lesson, among other things, we discussed What is Linguistics, what is language and What is Grammar. After studying the plethora of information in all the texts we are supposed to read before next lesson, two quotations called my attention:
"When we study human language, we are approaching what some might call the "human essence", the distinctive qualities of mind that are, so far as we know, unique to man." Noam Chomsky, Language and Mind
"I feel very strongly about change. As teachers we must believe in change, must know it is possible, or we wouldn´t be teaching - because education is a constant process of change. Every single time you "teach" something to someone, it is ingested, something is done with it, and a new human being emerges. I can´t understand why people aren´t dying to learn, why it isn´t the greatest adventure in the world - because it´s the process of becoming. Every time we learn something new, we become something new." (Living, Loving and Learning - Leo F. Buscaglia)
There are two crucial movements to think creatively: the divergence - to amplify perspectives, to make different associations, to resort to new concepts - and the convergence - the focus on the practical ways to apply new things. The less creative ones resort to common answers. Whereas, the more creative ones, dare with alternative answers, which are not always aproved by the majority. The creative mind sees similarities where others only see differences. The good news is that we can change our behaviour pattern.
Some ways to give room for the creativity is: look for analogies, let the mind lose itself in its thoughts and look for new experiences.Studying always helps, because it amplifies the choices of information that we can recombine."Creativity has more to do with the way you absorve and connect information than with gift." Says the adman with a Major in History Flávio Cordeiro, quoted in an article published in Época magazine: "Creatives Wanted".(Revista Época 2 Agosto 2010 Nº 637).
What I mean is: teachers must be as curious as the children they teach. Why do we partialy lose this intrinsic curiosity and lust for life that children have? This is something we should hold dear for the rest of our lives, to become better persons, therefore, better teachers.
segunda-feira, 2 de agosto de 2010
Conformity
“Conformity is the process by which an individual’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are conditioned by what is conceived to be what other people might perceive. This influence occurs in both small groups and society as a whole, and it may be the result of subtle unconscious influences, or direct and overt social pressure. Conformity also occurs by the “implied presence” of others, or when other people are not actually present. For example, people tend to follow the norms of society when eating or watching television, even when they are at home by themselves.
People often conform from a desire to achieve a sense of security within a group—typically a group that is of a similar age, culture, religion, or educational status. Any unwillingness to conform carries with it the very real risk of social rejection. In this respect, conformity can be seen as a safe means of avoiding bullying or deflecting criticism from peers. Conformity is often associated with adolescence and youth culture, but it affects humans of all ages.
Although peer pressure may be viewed as a negative trait, conformity can have either good or bad effects depending on the situation. Driving safely on the correct side of the road is a beneficial example of conformity. Conformity influences the formation and maintenance of social norms and allows society to function smoothly and predictably.
Because conformity is a group phenomenon, such factors as group size, unanimity, cohesion, status, prior commitment, and public opinion all help to determine the level of conformity an individual will display.[1]”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conformity
————
I wanted to share this, because I´m unable or unwilling to conform to normal standards of social behavior. I want more. I want to innovate, I want to create, I want to expand myself. I want to be global. I want to discover, I want to write a book. I´m an explorer. I have a lust for life. I´m a teacher! :D
By Maíra Matos
People often conform from a desire to achieve a sense of security within a group—typically a group that is of a similar age, culture, religion, or educational status. Any unwillingness to conform carries with it the very real risk of social rejection. In this respect, conformity can be seen as a safe means of avoiding bullying or deflecting criticism from peers. Conformity is often associated with adolescence and youth culture, but it affects humans of all ages.
Although peer pressure may be viewed as a negative trait, conformity can have either good or bad effects depending on the situation. Driving safely on the correct side of the road is a beneficial example of conformity. Conformity influences the formation and maintenance of social norms and allows society to function smoothly and predictably.
Because conformity is a group phenomenon, such factors as group size, unanimity, cohesion, status, prior commitment, and public opinion all help to determine the level of conformity an individual will display.[1]”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conformity
————
I wanted to share this, because I´m unable or unwilling to conform to normal standards of social behavior. I want more. I want to innovate, I want to create, I want to expand myself. I want to be global. I want to discover, I want to write a book. I´m an explorer. I have a lust for life. I´m a teacher! :D
By Maíra Matos
segunda-feira, 19 de julho de 2010
ABCI
Please, share the hints and websites you heard about at the 9TH ABCI 2010
15 to 17 JULY, 2010 Barra da Tijuca - Rio de Janeiro
15 to 17 JULY, 2010 Barra da Tijuca - Rio de Janeiro
quarta-feira, 17 de março de 2010
quarta-feira, 10 de março de 2010
domingo, 24 de janeiro de 2010
Researching about VIRTUAL EDUCATION
I´ve just decided to start this research/study, because I started teaching when the E-board revolution started back in 2007. Of course I know and can teach with regular markers, but the so-called E-boards or the Interactive White Boards have been calling my attention. Oh, buy the way, I used to be a teacher at Cultura Inglesa Porto Velho - Rondonia. But now Im a teacher at Cultura Inglesa in Niterói - RJ.
So, as I was saying..These boards are connected to the internet and we can also use them as normal computers in class. The teacher can write on it using a mousepen that is part of a special programme designed for it. Some of them are Activprimary and Actvstudio from Promethean. Since I have nearly 3 years of experience with e-bords, I have been having insights. Therefore, I felt the need of studying about that in more detail.
Specially, because Ive designed a VIRTUAL DIARY, special e-mail accounts for my students and like many other teachers, Ive also been taking advantage of vurtual aids. The thing is, many teachers have email accounts for their students..but only teachers who use e-boards can have a virtual diary in the way I have designed. I need to organize my ideas to present it to the public in a more academic way urgently. But to cut a long story short, all I want is to share my experience with fellow teachers in order to improve things and talk about the ideas Ive been having! I might present it at ABCI 2010 here in Rio. Thing is, I might not have time to finish the proprosal by Feb 02nd...we´ll see.
Please, feel free to add more sites to our list! Dont hesitate to comment on that and give your opinion about it if you feel like!
For now, here are some of the things Ive been reading. Welcome!
So, as I was saying..These boards are connected to the internet and we can also use them as normal computers in class. The teacher can write on it using a mousepen that is part of a special programme designed for it. Some of them are Activprimary and Actvstudio from Promethean. Since I have nearly 3 years of experience with e-bords, I have been having insights. Therefore, I felt the need of studying about that in more detail.
Specially, because Ive designed a VIRTUAL DIARY, special e-mail accounts for my students and like many other teachers, Ive also been taking advantage of vurtual aids. The thing is, many teachers have email accounts for their students..but only teachers who use e-boards can have a virtual diary in the way I have designed. I need to organize my ideas to present it to the public in a more academic way urgently. But to cut a long story short, all I want is to share my experience with fellow teachers in order to improve things and talk about the ideas Ive been having! I might present it at ABCI 2010 here in Rio. Thing is, I might not have time to finish the proprosal by Feb 02nd...we´ll see.
Please, feel free to add more sites to our list! Dont hesitate to comment on that and give your opinion about it if you feel like!
For now, here are some of the things Ive been reading. Welcome!
terça-feira, 19 de janeiro de 2010
The letter not sent
Hello my future host family!
My name is Maíra and I´m 25 years old. I´m originally from Belém, Pará. Actually, nearly all my family and relatives are from Pará. My parents are divorced. Dad lives in Rondônia and mom lives in Rio de Janeiro. So, during my whole life, I had to live in two states: Rondônia and Rio de Janeiro. In the years I lived in Rondônia with dad, I used to spend my holidays in Rio de Janeiro with mom, and vice-versa. Therefore, I had to learn from an early age how to deal with people from different backgrounds, and how to make friends in different places everytime I had to move again. Those made me a versatile and flexible person. It also made me value the real friends I have made in both states. The years have passed, and I can still say I have made friends for life.
Consequently, I´ve grown used to missing people I love. It also highlighted their role in my life. For instance, dad has been married to my stepmother for 25 years. So I have known her and her relatives since I was 1 year old. They are all family for me too. Especially because all my real relatives live in Belém and I only go there when I am on holiday. But I’ve always kept them in my heart and we try to keep contact as much as we can. I have a brother from dad´s first wedding. He´s 32 years old, he´s a lawyer and he lives in Pará. I also have a sister, from mom´s wedding after dad. We are closer because she lives in Rio de Janeiro with mom. She´s 12 years old now.
I love studying languages. I dream of studying French and German as soon as possible. One of my dreams is to teach at a university and write books that are relevant to help other fellow teachers and educators like me. I am aware that I will have to take my masters and doctors and that it won´t be easy. But it´s like once said Robert Frost: “The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.” I have a blog in the internet called ELT Professionals. ELT stands for English Language Teaching. It´s a simple blog, but I decided to create it because my “favorites” folder in my browser was too long and messed. So it helped me to categorize my favorite sites and also to share them with fellow teachers.
I do have wanderlust. I love being involved with everything that helps me to improve my world view, my sense and sensibility and my general culture. I can dare to say that I love studying the world and its people. That´s why I love arts in all its forms. That´s how men manifest their feelings! Being an au pair will be an amazing way of getting in real contact 24/7, with a culture and a language I have been studying for so long. Not to mention, that I will have the opportunity to meet people from many other countries in the world, other fellow au pairs too. Thus, I will get thrilled to learn all about the American culture and your language with you and your kids. I will be more than happy to be with them, and take care of them, while sharing my culture and language too. I think this is the perfect cultural exchange program for an English teacher, period.
I have taken care of my sister when she was younger; I have taken care of my neighbors’ and my friends’ kids, and of course, I have helped kids from my step mother´s family too. I have done volunteer work with poor children and I have taught from 5-year-olds to teenagers and adults for nearly 3 years in a private school. All those experiences made me more eager to study about education and methodology to become a better teacher and therefore, a better person. Educators help other human beings to develop themselves, help them become better students and better citizens. Hence, they must work very hard to develop themselves as much. Because they need to be ready to inspire, to motivate, and to extract the best from their pupils.
Some things I have learned from taking care of children are: organization and the ability to extemporize. Children are full of energy, they need variety or they get easily bored. If you are not organized enough, you cannot plan ahead. I mean, we need to predict their acts. Being a better observer and how to be alert all the time is another skill I have learned. I remember when I started teaching, I was inexperienced of course. I had to take care and teach 20 kids at the same time, and that was not an easy task. I would turn my back to them while writing on the board and lose the focus to what they would be doing on my back. I remember the coordinator observing my lessons and telling me that I should be able to pay attention to all those things at the same time. It was hard, but I learned how to multi-task and be more efficient. Whew!
I´m sure we will have an unforgettable year together and that we will become friends for life. I can´t wait to meet you and start this unique experience!
See you soon!
Maíra Matos
My name is Maíra and I´m 25 years old. I´m originally from Belém, Pará. Actually, nearly all my family and relatives are from Pará. My parents are divorced. Dad lives in Rondônia and mom lives in Rio de Janeiro. So, during my whole life, I had to live in two states: Rondônia and Rio de Janeiro. In the years I lived in Rondônia with dad, I used to spend my holidays in Rio de Janeiro with mom, and vice-versa. Therefore, I had to learn from an early age how to deal with people from different backgrounds, and how to make friends in different places everytime I had to move again. Those made me a versatile and flexible person. It also made me value the real friends I have made in both states. The years have passed, and I can still say I have made friends for life.
Consequently, I´ve grown used to missing people I love. It also highlighted their role in my life. For instance, dad has been married to my stepmother for 25 years. So I have known her and her relatives since I was 1 year old. They are all family for me too. Especially because all my real relatives live in Belém and I only go there when I am on holiday. But I’ve always kept them in my heart and we try to keep contact as much as we can. I have a brother from dad´s first wedding. He´s 32 years old, he´s a lawyer and he lives in Pará. I also have a sister, from mom´s wedding after dad. We are closer because she lives in Rio de Janeiro with mom. She´s 12 years old now.
I love studying languages. I dream of studying French and German as soon as possible. One of my dreams is to teach at a university and write books that are relevant to help other fellow teachers and educators like me. I am aware that I will have to take my masters and doctors and that it won´t be easy. But it´s like once said Robert Frost: “The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.” I have a blog in the internet called ELT Professionals. ELT stands for English Language Teaching. It´s a simple blog, but I decided to create it because my “favorites” folder in my browser was too long and messed. So it helped me to categorize my favorite sites and also to share them with fellow teachers.
I do have wanderlust. I love being involved with everything that helps me to improve my world view, my sense and sensibility and my general culture. I can dare to say that I love studying the world and its people. That´s why I love arts in all its forms. That´s how men manifest their feelings! Being an au pair will be an amazing way of getting in real contact 24/7, with a culture and a language I have been studying for so long. Not to mention, that I will have the opportunity to meet people from many other countries in the world, other fellow au pairs too. Thus, I will get thrilled to learn all about the American culture and your language with you and your kids. I will be more than happy to be with them, and take care of them, while sharing my culture and language too. I think this is the perfect cultural exchange program for an English teacher, period.
I have taken care of my sister when she was younger; I have taken care of my neighbors’ and my friends’ kids, and of course, I have helped kids from my step mother´s family too. I have done volunteer work with poor children and I have taught from 5-year-olds to teenagers and adults for nearly 3 years in a private school. All those experiences made me more eager to study about education and methodology to become a better teacher and therefore, a better person. Educators help other human beings to develop themselves, help them become better students and better citizens. Hence, they must work very hard to develop themselves as much. Because they need to be ready to inspire, to motivate, and to extract the best from their pupils.
Some things I have learned from taking care of children are: organization and the ability to extemporize. Children are full of energy, they need variety or they get easily bored. If you are not organized enough, you cannot plan ahead. I mean, we need to predict their acts. Being a better observer and how to be alert all the time is another skill I have learned. I remember when I started teaching, I was inexperienced of course. I had to take care and teach 20 kids at the same time, and that was not an easy task. I would turn my back to them while writing on the board and lose the focus to what they would be doing on my back. I remember the coordinator observing my lessons and telling me that I should be able to pay attention to all those things at the same time. It was hard, but I learned how to multi-task and be more efficient. Whew!
I´m sure we will have an unforgettable year together and that we will become friends for life. I can´t wait to meet you and start this unique experience!
See you soon!
Maíra Matos
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