Concurrent Sessions 1

Pedagogical factors that influence EFL teaching in Medellín public schoolsMg. Jose Vicente Abad OlayaFull Time TeacherFundación Universitaria Luis Amigójose.abadol@amigo.edu.co

AbstractThe presenter will share the results of a research study that examined the pedagogical factors that influence EFL teaching in Medellín Public schools. Researchers interviewed 11 English teachers in grades 4th through 6th about three linguistic principles: communicative competence, native language effect, and interlanguage. The data analysis led to the identification of factors such as teachers´ linguistic ego, view of their teaching role, and attitude towards English, which play a key role in shaping EFL teaching. The presenter will argue that these factors be incorporated in professional development programs so teacherscan effectively revise their beliefs and adjust their practices.

Implementing sign systems promotes democracy, motivation and production in students

Diana PalacioUniversidad de Antioquiaartemiza.diana@gmail.com

AbstractThis presentation will show some findings at the moment of implementing some types of sign systems in different contexts in where I taught English, such as: public school, private school, and university students. The use of sign systems such as dancing, acting, drawing and painting increased in students’ motivation. The enhancement of students’ awareness about the importance of a respectful environment in the development of the different activities increased too. Another finding was that there was an increase in the democratization of the English classes. The change in all students’ attitude proved the usefulness of this implementation in my teaching practice.

Webquests in ELT: students’ experiences with teaching and technologyLaura Mildrey Zapata-MonsalveEliana EspinalCamila GonzálezDaniel MúneraKarla GómezStudents at Licenciatura Inglés-EspañolUniversidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellínlamizamo.17@gmail.com

ABSTRACTIn this presentation, a group of students from three cohorts who have taken the same preservice English course will share their experiences and progress designing WebQuests. The presenters will first define WebQuests and their structure. They will then explain what they did in the course to learn how to design WebQuests, including some changes they have noticed in the implementation. They will then share their individual experiences with WebQuests, with a demonstration of what their WebQuests are about. Finally, the presenters will share their personal and collective suggestions for other students and teachers interested in using WebQuests in their classrooms.

Technology Integration in the English classroom.Natalia Andrea EstradaSebastián PabónStudentsfrom “Licenciatura en inglés”.Student’s Research club SECI-MediacionesFundación Universitaria Luis Amigó.andrea9088@hotmail.com, sbas92@gmail.com

AbstractThe objective of our presentation is to clarify the differences about what is and what is not Technology Integration in the English Classroom, based on the article of Laurie B. Dias who takes as a reference of her investigation some researchers like Morton, Jonassen, Sandholtz, Ringstaff, and Dwyer.This article is linked to the orientations about technology integrations of the Ministerio de EducaciónNacional, what means, that we would be talking about something that happens in our context, even closer, in our profession as teachers. Most of the teachers are trying to bring technology in the classroom, but what they could be thinking would be just bringing electronic devices like computers, video beams or DVD players, when the real integration of technology is the one made by the teacher through a variety of resources that can be found and used in the classroom.

In pursuance of democratic assessment by including stakeholders’ voices Elsa Adriana Restrepo Sepúlveda Coordinadora académica Alianza Idiomas UdeAIntegrante del grupo de Investigación: GIAE academica@idiomasudea.edu.co

Abstract Democracy, a very conflicting concept, has been pursued in order to bring about justice and wellbeing for everyone, and it is precisely the “everyone” target which makes it feel as an illusion. However, more than achieving a goal, what really matters is how teachers can professionally develop when pursuing it and how students become gradually involved by playing an active role in their assessment process. Designing evaluative rubrics intended to gather qualities such as trustworthiness, interactivity and validity, among others, has involved a study group in democratic processes when assessing the students of a foreign language program.

Concurrent Sessions 2

Content based learning: an alternative way to teach English language.Mg. Marlon Vanegas RojasPart Time TeacherFundación Universitaria Luis Amigómarlon.vanegasro@amigo.edu.co

AbstractThe purpose of this workshop is to explore and experience with the audience a different and enriching perspective to organize our classroom learning experiences in a more holistic and natural way. Content-based methodology is based on the idea that language is learned through meaningful use. The instrumental view of language here allows language teachers have students use the language to learn about the world, the others and themselves. It is more logical here to have students use and learn English as they study meaningful content, rather than having them study English grammar as a separate subject apart from meaningful content. It just another way to learn language by studying and integrating topics or knowledge related to subject areas such as social studies, biology, math, art, literature, science and so on.

The U.S. Refugee School Impact Program: A Proposal for EvaluationRachel BakerFullbright Assistant Brown UniversityFundaciónUniversitaria Luis Amigó

AbstractThe U.S. federal government’s Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has never formallyevaluated its twelve-year-old Refugee School Impact Program, citing legal and ethical concerns aswell as program design limitations as inhibiting factors. As the single largest funding source forschools impacted by the arrival of refugee students, ORR’s research would be uniquely situated tobetter inform education policy and practice directed toward newcomers. This report aims to proposea sound model for program evaluation that considers ORR’s concerns and constraints. Though trueexperimental research cannot be conducted, a serious commitment to quasi-experimental programevaluation could significantly improve educational programs for newcomers across the nation.

Virtual Platforms: A Meaningful Support for Teaching Practice.Bairon Jaramillo Valencia.Studentfrom“Licenciatura en Educación Básica con Énfasis en Humanidades y Lengua Extranjera – Inglés”.Fundación Universitaria Luis Amigó.bairon.jaramillova@amigo.edu.co.

AbstractThe aim of this proposal is to raise teachers’ awareness of the importance that Virtual Learning Environments have in face-to-face classrooms. It could be possible through an example of how a virtual platform can be designed as by anyone who has some knowledge about Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and the most important, as by teachers who want to enrich their teaching practice more and more. This project was developed since the author attended a fourth – semester subject named “AmbientesTecnológicos de Aprendizaje en Inglés” at FUNLAM; as a result, many proposals are beginning accomplished, and using virtual platforms for supporting teaching practice is one of them.

Research experiences: learning by actingJesica Ortiz CardenasDaniel Bedoya BermúdezJuliana Bustamante AreizaStudents from “Licenciatura en inglés”.Research assistantsFundación Universitaria Luis Amigó.jesidim_1658@hotmail.com, jb87areiza@gmail.com, dannfury@yahoo.com

Abstract

This presentation intends to share a research experience lived by a group of students. The presenters are working on the project “Factores facilitadores y obstaculizadores del aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras en modalidad virtual”, that takes one of the courses from FUNLAM virtual platform as case study. The main objective of this presentation is to show the research process carried out and how it manages to both provide students with a lot of benefits for their academic and professional development, and help them to apply this learning in their life and produce proposals that generate educational impact.

Keeping journals as way of improving teachingJuan David HernándezStudent from “Licenciatura en inglés”.Fundación Universitaria Luis Amigó.juandahdz@hotmail.com

AbstractThis is an exercise based on a work upon keeping a journal, a reflection based from a student- teacher perspective seeing how to improve in practice, starting form oral reports to written ones, reflection and action upon what happened inside and outside classes, focusing in teaching experiences who were condensed in a journal that became a tool, from which I started to reflect over several aspects concerning teaching. This allowed me to improve my teaching, review strategies, strengths and weakness who were visible in the reflective exercise that was practiced.