Is the Costa Rican's School system working?

There has been many problems in the field of education in Costa Rica. Students aren't getting the appropriate education that the Ministery of Public Education is providing them. They deserve a much better level of teaching.The purpose of this article is to point out a few of the problems that Costa Rican's Public schools are facing. We'll focus in the field of Engish Teaching as a second language.

One of the main and most important point is the amount of hours that students get each week to learn a new language. Having a 40 minute class is absolutely not enough for students to learn a new language. Furthermore it take about 5 to 10 minutes before all the students arrive , and for the teacher to get their attention. Another 10 minutes at the end of the class because students tend to get anxious to leave so they put away everything before time. That leaves abou 30 to 35 minutes of class, which is impossible to actually teach something. Maybe two grammar exercises, but what about the main goal of teaching all the four skills? This is obviously not happening in the classrooms.

Imagine having to teach a class of 30 to 35 students. Anyone would go crazy with just the thought of that. This is the actual case in many schools, and that's what's making it more difficult for teachers to handle a class full of students. It's not easy to constantly have all their attention the whole time. Teacher's also have to be careful with the kind of material they use to teach. Every student has their different ways of learning, and the teacher has to make sure she's able to satisfy each student at the same time, which most of the time is unsuccesful.

There are many different types of methods that can be used to teach. The use of the Communicative Approach hasn't changed in years. Offcourse this approach has it's benefits and it's down sides, but we can see that for years this Approach hasn't been very much affective, but it is still being used. Times have changed and teachers should implement new ways of teaching. It doesn't cost anything to simply try out new things. If it doens't work you can always go back with the old.

It's pretty obvious how technology has develop within these last few years. The use of it in classrooms isn't an exception. Having a computer, internet, beamer, radio and so one in a classroom can drastically improve teaching. Students tend to be more interested in new things, and technology is a good way to get them interested in learning. Offcourse these resources aren't that cheap, but investing in them would be worth it.

Another important factor is the quality students get. Wealthy people who can afford private school have a huge benefit. Parents who aren't as fortunate has to send their children to public school where they find teachers with less experience, less education, less up to date with effective teaching methods. Students have limited access to a wider range of knowledge. They graduate knowing "less" than others, which can sometimes be dissapointing when encountering others who know more than they do.

The importance of learning English should be made clear to everyone. English isn't taken very seriously. Students see it as another simple course that they are forced to take, which they don't necessarilly need. English plays an important role worldwide. People who know English are most likely to get a better job, and advance easier in life. If English was promoted in a better way and to clarrify the importance of it in life.

It's clearly enough that the public school system needs drastic improvement. In order for a change to come, the Ministry of Public Education must evaluate the whole situation and start implementing changes little by little.

Class Observation:

School: Colegio de Curridabat

Professor: Dennis Castro Mora

Course: English

Level: 9th grade

Interview :

http://youtu.be/w1S2jRv3i-I

Useful Websites

These are some websites that may come in handy when teaching.

Vocabulary Building: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabpage.htm
On this website you will find all types of vocabulary. There are several categories, for example Life and death. In this category you'll find all kinds of words related to life and death such as; baby, birth, coffin, funeral, etc. You don't just learn one simple word, you learn everything else that's around it.

Pronunciation: http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/
This website offers the correct ways of pronouncing words in English. Including homophones, sentence stresses, linking, contractions, also tongue twisters.

Grammar: http://www.englishgrammar.org/
On this site you learn everything about nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, pronons, etc. It gives explanation on what they are, and how you use them. The site also offers grammar lessons, and videos that teach you grammar.

Listening: http://englishlistening.com/index.jsp
This site is very usefull because people with basic level to people with advanced english level. Different people talk about their experiences. By listening to these speeches you get accostumed to the variety of the english accent and help improve your own pronnciation.

Reading: http://www.americanliterature.com/ss/ssindx.html
Here yo will find over 2,000 short stories to choose from. You will also find complete books, such as A Christmas Carol, Hamlet, Little women, Sense and Sensibility and much more. You can search for authors and see all of their works that are available on the site.

Personal Learning Network

What is a Personal Learning Network (PLN)?
PLN can be defined as people around you who have the same interests as you, with whom you exchange information. These people can be students, proffesors, experts, etc. Nowadays most of these interactions happen online through sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. It's one of the most easiest ways to send, receive and search for information, especially with people from all around the world who share the same interest.

PLN has many advantages.
With the internet as our main tool we can easily access other's information and share our own. Everywhere you go you'll be sure to find internet access somewhere. The learner in this case can get knowledge from many different people and in many different ways. Meeting new people also has it's benefits. When you're connected with people from all over the world you become more interested in their culture, and what it's like to live and teach their. You'll want to know more about how their system of education works, and what methods best fits into their teaching. When you have all the information that you want, you can decide wether or not you can incorporate some of the techniques you learned into your own teaching. Having extra ideas is never enough. Getting feedback on your posts also helps you realize what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong. 

PLN also has it's disadvantages.
The information available is not always one that can be trusted. Some information you find can be useful, meanwhile others don't exactly fit into what you're looking for. You don't know from where these writers got their information and if it's valid. At first you'll waiste some time on finding the right information, but once you get to know your network, you'll know exactly what information is reliable or not. If a person does not have a computer or latop with acces to the internet, it will be very hard to build up their nework, because they don't have the resources needed. Another important fact is that not everyone is familiar with a computer, much les the internet. So in order for them to be able to start creating their own personal learning network it will take a while. Taking computer classes might be needed.

Building your own Personal Learning Network can be pretty easy. The important thing is to make sure you apply for the right information and with the right people, and remain organized!

Why is Curriculum Design important ?

Curriculum design is an important part in education. There are several aspects that are important when designing a curriculum for students. It is important that all students receive the same level of education. Important is to establish when students of different age groups have the capacity enough to learn about certain information. In other words, what information is appropriate for them to know? Establishing these aspects will help you to determine how to the curriculum together. The purpose of teaching must be integrated into the curriculum.

Since classrooms are always filled with students who have different cultural backgrounds it is advisable to be careful with the material.  Some students might find certain subjects normal; meanwhile for other students it can be inappropriate. Parents also play an important role when it comes to curriculum. They should be familiar with what their children are learning at school. By knowing that they can provide extra help to their children by doing extra activities with them that are related to what they study at school. They will expand their knowledge and curiosity by experiencing new things.

A teacher’s insight is the most important when it comes to curriculum design. He/she realizes when the curriculum needs to be changed. Their opinions are the most critical ones when it’s time for a change. Teachers know exactly what it is that is going on in the classrooms and they know how the classes need improvement. For us future teachers it is important to know what and how the curriculum design works.

The curriculum design is not only important to teachers to know how and what they have to teach, but also for the students themselves to have insight on what they will be learning in the upcoming weeks. Before entering a school, parents can take a look at the curriculum and decide if this planning will be worth it for their children, or if they prefer to enroll him into some other school that have a better curriculum that suits them better.

Some may say it’s a waste of time learning about curriculum design, but in my opinion it is better to know about it, then not knowing anything at all. You never know when you’ll find yourself in a situation where you’ll need it, maybe for a promotion or extra credit. At that moment if you don’t know it you’ll regret not taking the course seriously. Every course has its importance, curriculum design isn’t an exception.

"Dr. Heidegger's Experiment." Story Analysis

 

Biography:

Nathaniel Hawtorne was born in Salem, Massachusettes on July 4 1804, and passed away on may 19 1864. His work as an American fiction writer was based on the history of his Puritan ancestors and the New England of his own day, but in its "power of blackness" has universal significance. later in 1850 he wrote one of his best-known novels The Scarlet Letter. This has made him a famous man around the world and is known for one of America's greatest writers.

Summary:

Dr. Heidegger invited four of his old friends to his house for an experiment, these friends were unfortunate in their early life. Dr. Heidegger demonstrated how a rose he had kept for fifty-five years could bloom again with water from the Fountain of Youth. This rose was given to him by the woman he was going to marry. They all drank the water to see if they too would become young again, and indeed they did, but unfortunately the rose began to shrink, and so they turned old again. In the end they have learned nothing from their past mistakes, and were planning to go find the Fountain of Youth.

Story Plot:

The conflict; Dr. Heidegger invites four of his old friends over to his house for an experiment.

Rising Action; - Dr. Heidegger invited his guests to go into his laboratory.

- Dr. Heidegger removed a rose he had saved for fifty-five years from one of his bokks.

- He told his friends the story behind behind the rose, how the woman he was going to marry; Sylvia Ward,   gave him the rose to wear on their wedding day. Sadly she died the day before the wedding.

- He asked his friends if they thought the rose would ever bloom again, they did not believe it was possible.

- The vase on the table where they were sitting was filled with a liquid that looked like water, he poured a little on the rose and it began to bloom again.

- The Dr. Heidegger told them about the Fountain of Youth and where it is located.

- They could drink all the water they wanted and grow as young as they wanted, but before they drank it the Dr. warned them not to make the same mistakes they did when they were young.

- Moments later they were feeling younger and wanted to drink more of the water.

- Soon they started argueing on who was going to dance with the widow Wycherly.

Climax; While struggling with each other the men knocked down the table with the vase, the water from the Fountain of Youth flowed across the floor.

Resolution; The four friends turned old again. Dr. Heidegger made his conclusion that non of his friends had learned from their past mistakes. They were planning to go find the Fountain of Youth. 

Characters:

Dr. Heidegger	Mr. Medbourne	Mr. Gascon	Colonel Killigrew	Widow Wycherly
strange old man,	was a very rich	was a famous	was a great	conceited,
Doctor,	man, greedy,	politician,	soldier, spent his	was once beautiful
flat character	lost his fortune,	dishonest, now	life eating &	but not anymore,
	now he is a	he lives in	drinking, now he	flat character
	begger,	shame,	suffers from bad
	flat character	flat character	health,
			flat character

All the four friends have much in common. They have been friends since a long time, the three men all love the widow Wycherly. They all made big mistakes in their early life wich led them to an unhappy future.

Moral of the story:
The moral of this story is about foolishness. The four friends being foolish in their youth, even when given a second chance they made the same mistakes.

Personal Opinion:

My personal opinion about this story is the following; in life no one is perfect, everyone can make mistakes, but at one point you have to be able to learn something from it and change it. If not, a person would just keep on making the same wrong desicions over and over again. This may lead to rejection by others. Having this kind of behaviour will not take you anywhere in life. People should learn to appreciate new opportunities and make the best out of it. The irony of the story is that we expect that the four friends change and will not make the same mistakes again, but that is not the case.

"Three Hundred Pesos." Story Analysis

Biography:
Manuela Williams Crosno was born in 1905 and died in 1997. A long-time resident of Las Cruces, New Mexico, she set her stories in the area around Santa Fe, Albequerque, and Taos. Her interest in Hispanic culture is reflected in the subject matter of many of those stories of setllers who lived on the land more than one hundred years ago. As an English teacher, Crosno won a statewide writing contest with her essay, "Why I Teach School." She was an accomplished poet, artist, and illustrator.


Summary:
Emilio and Berta are sisters, their brother Anastacio Perea has become a very selfish man. Since he was a small boy he set a goal for himself to earn 300 pesos and become a storekeeper. He rejected to help his brother and sister with financial problems. By doing this he has lost his crops twice, and by the third time when he finally got enough money to buy his store, he suffered a terrible accident and passed away. His brother and sister found him, and with the 300 pesos he had earned they are going to pay for his funeral.


Story Plot:
The Conflict; Anastacio Perea has a goal to earn 300 pesos to be able to buy his own store.
Rising Action; Anastacio is asked by his brother to lend him one peso to buy medicine for his son Pedro, but he rejects this. Later on his cornfield is completely destroyed by a storm. After the storm Emilio invited Anastacio for supper of tortillas and chile, but Anastacio being angry and blaming Emilio for his loss tols Emilio to go away. Next comes his sister Berta to ask him for help with rebuilding her house. She too is rejected by Anastacio. Once again, his cornfield is destroyed by a flock of sheeps. In spring Anastacio planted pinto beans knowing it will sell for a very high price. He hoped to earn 50 pesos by selling them. When he finished harvesting his beans he putted them in wooden boxes and loaded them in his wagon. then he left for the village.
Climax; After Anastacio's accident, the man driving the horseless wagon offered to pay him 50 pesos to avoid further troubles. Here he was happy because he finally reached his goal of having 300 pesos.
Resolution;  Anastacio sat down and suddenly fell forward and lay very still. His brother Emilio and sister Berta  came to find him dead. With the 300 pesos he had they would prepare a beautiful funeral for him.


Characters:
Anastacio: is the main character of the story.  He is a single man, doesn't have any children, and works in the fields. He held on to his money like a miser, but he has made bad investments too. He was unlucky in business matters. He is a very selfish man.
Emilio: Brother of Anastacio. A poor man, married and has a son. He's a very generous man.
Berta: Sister of Anastacio. A poor woman, has her own family, still a very genrous woman. She's very thin and frail, small face. She looked like a starving bird.


Moral of the story:
This story shows a lot of selfishness; in this case Anastacio not wanting to share or help his brother and sister. At the same time it shows generosity; Emilio and Berta not hating their brother for not helping them. The man of the horseless wagon paying him for the accident.


Personal opinion:
My personal opinion of the story "three hundred pesos" is that it's a nice story for people to realize that being selfish is not a very nice thing. Being bad to others would end in something worse happening to yourself. This  is what people call Karma. By helping others you'll get in return something even better, and it's a nice feeling to have helped someone in need.