Guanajuato 'Asesores' and Secondary English Teachers Get Learner-Centered

In the middle of October 2007, 63 primary level English 'asesores'(advisor-trainers)and secondary English teachers from the state of Guanajuato gathered together for a workshop on techniques in learner-centered instruction. Organized by Guanajauto SEG coordinator Mario Montero, the first group met for 18 hours from Oct. 15-17th at the Centro de Capacitacion (CENCAP) in Acambaro, Guanajuato.

The second group met from Oct. 18-19th for 8 hours in Leon.

In addition to learning how to structure cooperative classroom routines and apply multiple intelligence theory to class room activities, participants showed great warmth and community spirit by participating in bonfire sing-alongs and endlessly telling jokes. Ever creative and enthusiastic, the group made wonderful group chants and stories.

Results from the original workshop evaluation indicate that they preferred learning new activities that can be applied directly to the classroom. They said they will apply Multiple Intelligences and Cooperative Learning in their own classes and they'd like to learn more about Bloom's Taxonomy and Multiple Intelligences.

Many of the asesores said they would replicate some of the ideas from the workshop in their own training sessions. (Please let me know if you have! Click here to fill out the workshop follow-up survey. This information will guide me in creating more useful workshops.)

I will always remember the great time I had with you in Acambaro. Teachers like you are the reason I love teaching! Thanks to all of you and to Mario, a really motivating coordinator!

Hidalgo SEP Teachers Focus on Fluency

On Sept. 24th-26th, forty-six primary and secondary teachers gathered for a workshop entitled “Developing Learner Fluency” at the SEP offices in Pachuca, Hidalgo.
The group proved to be a pro-active crowd that dove into the many activities offered by "EXCELLENT" Canadian teachers Kevin Batdorf and Troy Gariepy on the first two days and by English Language Fellow Brigitte Miller on the last three.
These experienced teachers learned different ways to exploit role play, oral fluency games, how to implement cooperative learning with a reading jigsaw and interactive "routines". Finally, they discussed the implications of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence theory on teaching and how to apply it effectively in the classroom. The workshop's opening and closing ceremonies, which were organized by SEPA Ingles coordinator Juan Luis Lopez Lugo and his staff, were attended by the vice-minister of education and other SEP officials.
According to the workshop evaluations, 92 % of the participants found the topic and the activities very interesting and useful. The favorite parts of the workshop were the activities themselves and the part on “Multiple Intelligences”. Participants wrote that they will try to apply these activities and “role play” in their own teaching. Finally, they hope to learn more about multiple intelligences, role play, group work, evaluation, fluency and songs. Other comments included, ““the topic was based in the curriculum – it is practical and easy to apply in classrooms”, “ none of the teacher’s wanted to go home when it was over despite the fact it was payday, because they enjoyed it so much” and “I learned great new ways to work with my Ss and reinforced others”.
Thanks for all of your enthusiasm. Please leave comments here to let me know how these activities work in YOUR classrooms! - Brigitte

Escuela Normal Superior de Chiapas gets motivated with Cooperative Learning and Multiple Intelligences

On September 22nd and 23rd, 2007 64 English teachers and students attended the workshop entitled “Motivating Learners with Cooperative Learning and Multiple Intelligences" at the Escuela Normal Superior de Chiapas (ENSCH)in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas. The event was organized by Maestro Enrique Sanchez Manchinelly and facilitated by English Language Fellow Brigitte Miller. Despite the diverse English levels of the group and the fact that the workshop followed the regional MEXTESOL convention, many dedicated Chiapan teachers participated admirably anyway.
In the first session on Saturday from 4p.m.- 8p.m., participants discussed what motivates teachers and learners. Then they practiced cooperative learning: what it is and how to organize it effectively by participating in a reading "jigsaw".
In the second session on Sunday morning from 9a.m.- 1:30p.m., participants learned about Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence theory. Then they interacted in some cooperative, multiple-intelligence activities that can be used in their own classrooms.Some products of these activities were the multiple intelligence chants and their cooperative learning word webs.
According to the workshop evaluation, 97% of the participants found the activities interesting and useful. Their favorite parts of the workshop were "Multiple Intelligences" and the interactive activity "Who Am I?".
The workshop ended with some words of encouragement from the ENSCH director Maestro Jose Raul Davila Ramirez and the distribution of certificates of participation. Thanks to Enrique and the hard-working teachers of Chiapas for making this event happen. Good luck.

"Four Skills, One Way?" the South-East Regional MEXTESOL convention in Tuxtla Gutierrez is a great success!

More than 120 English teachers and students as well as presenters from abroad and all over Mexico participated in the South-East MEXTESOL Regional Convention on Sept. 21-22, 2007. The event was held at the City Express Hotel in Tuxtla and included plenary presentations by Dr. Wanda Griffith from the University of Austin, Texas; Dr. Louisa Greathouse Amador from the BUAP in Puebla and English Language Fellow Brigitte Miller from the U.S. Embassy's Office of English Language Programs. There were also concurrent sessions with dynamic workshops conducted by Dr. Ruth Roux from La Salle University in Tamaulipas, Octavio Aguilar Faviel from UNICACH and Edson Adir Marin Salguero from UAEM in Toluca to name just a few. The presentations covered practical topics including: oral fluency activities, writing, assessment, pronunciation and the four skills as well as theoretical concerns such as: cooperative learning, motivation, emotional intelligence and student-centered teaching.
In the closing ceremony participants expressed their enthusiasm for the event which included many interactive sessions and finished with a book raffle. The conference was admirably organized by MEXTESOL Chiapas Chapter President Edith Martinez Pelaez, Vice President Geraldine Montoya Robles and CELE Coordinator Diego Gamez Espinosa from the UNICACH. Bravo to the whole MEXTESOL Chiapas team and a big thank you to UNICACH who very generously sponsored the event. See you next year!

Have a good break and see you next year!

FRIENDS & COLLEAGUES,
I'm happy to announce to you that my contract as a Senior English Language Fellow here in Mexico was renewed. So, I hope to see more of you during the 2007-2008 Academic Year.
During the 2006-2007 Academic Year I had the opportunity to work with more than 700 teachers and 250 students in ten states (Mexico State, Chihuahua, Baja California Sur, Mexico D.F. , Durango, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Aguascalientes & Veracruz). It has been an amazing experience and I'd like to thank you for your hospitality, hard work and insight throughout our collaborations.
I hope that most of you will relax and enjoy a well-earned summer vacation! If I don't hear from you before, I hope to see you at the national MEXTESOL convention in Veracruz next November.
Until then, take care.

Brigitte

Participate in the final webchat on "Technology and Classroom Activities" this Thursday, June 14th!

A webchat is an opportunity to ask questions online with an English teaching expert. The last one for this series is next Thursday at 4pm. So, if you're on the computer Thursday June 14th at 4pm - log in! You don't have to ask questions you can just read responses. There are usually a lot of good ideas and internet resources mentioned too! - Brigitte

The following web chat (and information) was put together by Jose Manuel Villafuerte from the Office of English Language Programs. Thanks for all your hard work, J.M. !

Date: June 14, 2007
Time: 4 p.m. Mexico City time
Presenter: Judie Haynes
Topic: Technology and Classroom Activities
Language: English
Link: http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/USINFO/Products/Webchats/haynes_14_jun_2007.html
Participation:
The first thing you need to do, is register. To do so, go to http://webchat.state.gov/?tid=unsecure.register, enter your e-mail address and screen name, then submit.
To log on, go to http://webchat.state.gov type your e-mail address and click submit. Click to agree on the terms of use. From the list of upcoming webchats, select the one you wish to join. You will enter a page with four tabs at the top: About, View discussion, Submit question or comment, and Logout.
There are three ways to participate:
1. You can log on before the web chat and submit a question or comment in advance. Use the Submit question or comment tab.
2. You can log on to participate on the actual webchat at the scheduled date and time. Each web chat lasts for an hour. Use the View discussion tab to see what's going on and the Submit question or comment tab to participate.
3. You can view the transcript from the webchat afterwards.
Feel free to pass this information on to others. We sincerely hope you find this series useful!

Best regards,

Jose Manuel Villafuerte
Office of English Language Programs
U.S. Embassy Mexico

"Learner-Centered Instruction" for Students and Teachers in Ixtapaluca!

Sixty-three secondary English teachers and supervisors from 4 different sections in Ixtapaluca participated in a 15-hour 3-day workshop on “Learner-Centered Instruction: Using Authentic Materials, Multiple Intelligences and Tiered Projects for Mixed-Ability Classes” from May 30th- June 1st, 2007.
The workshop, organized by local English teacher Paula Valdez and the SEP of the State of Mexico, Ixtapaluca, which aimed to improve English teaching techniques and motivation in the region, included some memorable moments when teachers performed their jazz chants and teacher Ruben sang and played “Stand By Me” on the guitar while other teachers filled in a cloze listening exercise.


In addition to facilitating the workshop for the teachers, the Senior English Language Fellow Brigitte Miller had the opportunity to visit seven secondary school classes where she spoke with the students about their reasons for studying English and ways they can practice outside of class.
The students were enthusiastic, asking all sorts of questions such as; “What would you do if you were president of Mexico?”, “What do you hate?”and What’s your favorite food? (chocolate, of course).
One highlight of the trip was seeing teacher Gabriel Garcia’s students perform “Summer Loving” from the musical “Grease”. Watch out John Travolta!

The Fellow was also interviewed in English by the local TV channel about the purpose of her visit to Ixtapaluca.
The teachers’ feedback on the workshop evaluation indicates that their favorite part was the Multiple Intelligence activities, that their least favorite part was the sound [not loud enough] and that in the future they’d like to learn more about Multiple Intelligences and Bloom’s Taxonomy. They suggested that future workshops include more activities and materials that can be directly applied in the class room with the students.
Teachers, thanks for all your suggestions – I look forward to implementing them when I see you next year!
Thanks to all the supervisors, directors, teachers and students who gave me such a warm welcome in Ixtapaluca.

Collaborative Teaching and Learning at the MEXTESOL Regional Conference in Xalapa, Veracruz

On May 26th, 2007 the MEXTESOL Xalapa Chapter hosted their regional conference at the Universidad Veracruzana, Humanidades Auditorium with four presentations on English Teaching, various publishers and a raffle.
The conference, organized by local chapter president Aurora Varona and the MEXTESOL committee, which took place from 9a.m. – 3 p.m. on a rainy Xalapa Saturday was attended by approximately 42 English teachers and students.
The presentations opened with Senior English Language Fellow Brigitte Miller’s workshop “Collaborative Teaching and Learning: From the Local to the Global” then, Professor Oscar Narvaez Trejo’s presentation on “Affectivity in Language Learning”, Professor Adriana Abad Florescano’s talk on “English Language Levels and Certification in Mexico” and closed with Senior English Language Fellow Russell Barczyk’s presentation “Technology and Cooperative Learning: From Bahrain to Mexico”. For more information, see Russell's blog at http://techmextesolxalapa.blogspot.com/







Hope to see you in Veracruz for the MEXTESOL national conference in November, 2007!

"A Universe of Ideas" at Aguascalientes' Academic Week

The team from the Office of English Language Programs (OELP) from the U.S. Embassy went on a road trip to support the 8th Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes’ Academic Week “A Universe of Ideas” at the request of the Language Department Director Luis Humberto Rodriguez. The event was a dynamic affair which included, in addition to numerous sessions on various aspects of English teaching, various social gatherings such as a city tour and dinner. The Academic Week (from May 17th to 18th, 2007) was well-attended and meticulously planned by a student committee from the BA in ELT program. Kudos to them!
As for the OELP team, Regional English Language Officer (RELO), Kay Davis facilitated a thought-provoking workshop on reading and brain-based learning entitled “Reading Isn’t Always Boring”, Senior English Language Fellow, Brigitte Miller gave her presentation “Taking Over the Reins: Using Collaborative Reflection to Reach Personal Goals” to a hall of 180-200 students and professors, while RELO Assistant, Jose Manuel Villafuerte gave an informational session on U.S. Embassy offerings for English teachers and students. In addition to the OELP team, there were presenters from Aguascalientes and from as far afield as Florida. What a success!

SEP Teachers Get Together and Get Motivated in Guadalajara

On May 16th forty-five SEP teachers and supervisors participated in a two-hour workshop on motivation and reflective teaching organized by Alfredo Manriquez and Lynn Roche from the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara, Jalisco. The teachers, who were from primary, secondary and high schools in Guadalajara, participated with enthusiasm and expressed interest in attending more workshops.
As one participant summed up, “ You can’t give anything to someone else, if you don’t have it before – you can’t motivate someone if you’re not motivated yourself” or as another one stated, “It’s important to change and to work in teams”.

Academic Week in Pachuca, Hidalgo

On May 9th approximately 120 students and professors from the BA in ELT program at the Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Hidalgo in Pachuca attended a one and half hour plenary presentation entitled “Taking Over the Reins: Using Collaborative Reflection to Reach Personal Goals” facilitated by English Language Fellow Brigitte Miller. The participants reflected on issues of student and teacher motivation and collaborative teacher development. The Academic Week was well-organized by coordinators Bertha Paredes and Hilda Hidalgo who also took the Fellow on a tour of their amazing Self-Access Center where students can practice their English through games, movies, computer tasks and karaoke.

Professors from the Universidad Autonoma de Tlaxcala Discuss “Multiple Paths to Success: Building Motivation and Differentiating Instruction"

Nineteen professors from the Facultad de Filosofia y Letras participated in a workshop on Multiple Intelligences, Differentiating Instruction and Student and Teacher Motivation from April 18th through 20th, 2007 at the Universidad Autonoma de Tlaxcala.
The workshop, organized by Ary-El Ramirez Castillo, was enthusiatically received by the participants who shared their varied knowledge on the topics. Notable, was the depth of knowledge of the group as a whole and their collaborative work style.
The workshop evaluations revealed that the participants' favorite part was the discussion of Multiple Intelligences and the practical activities (in particular, creating tiered projects using Bloom's Taxonomy and Multiple Intelligences). Their least favorite aspect was the short amount of time for each topic. According to the evaluations, they'd like to learn more about Multiple Intelligences and Bloom's Taxonomy and their suggestions for the presenter are that she include opportunities for the teachers to apply these techniques to their own materials.
The facilitator was very impressed by the experience and insight of the participants and looks forward to future collaborations.