Reflection on LTE

First session Reflection

This course session raises awareness of teaching development. Through the conference, we could explore and discuss issues regarding the educational context around Colombia and different countries.

One of the most significances for me have been the following:

1. The history of the foreign language from 40´s century until nowadays 
2. The role of the teacher 
3.  Independent and Renewal professionalism 
4. Current Approaches and Practices

The history mentioned by the professor its quite relevant for me as it leads me to know from where the English as a foreign language started moving on into the classroom. once of the issues was the War II in the 40´s century, from there, start the new tendencies in terms of teaching and learning practices. Furthermore, speaking and listening skills for communication around the war start emerging from that time. 

On the other hand, the role of the teacher on the learners´ learning process has important relevance as well, for example, the teacher as a passive technician in which they contract knowledge and transmit to students. Also, teachers as reflective practitioners and teachers as transformative intellectuals. However, it is quite interesting to think that those approaches are not wrong or right, but those can be adopted and adapted according to students' needs.  

Similarly, independent and renewal professionalism emerge from the readings. According to Leung, C. (2009). it has to be with reflective action and personal choices teachers make in order to improve their practice. it also has to be with an alternative perspective around practice setting 

In the same vein, we as a teacher are constantly inquiring about new practices and tendencies in the educational context. However, it is pretty interesting to see the new approaches and practices to be researchers in a classroom. Moreover, teachers with a sense of independent professionalism would raise awareness in knowing the real purpose of teaching certain topics in the classroom. 

Second session Reflection

The second session was developed through the following salient trends for me:

1. Positioning theory in LTE

2. Pre-service experiences within teaching practicum

3. Teachers´ pedagogical knowledge

4. Transformation of pedagogical knowledge 

In regards to the pre-service teacher in the teaching practicum, there are a lot of research reports, let's think about the research report by professor Castañeda and Aguirre, a report that makes me think about the importance of the practicum in the undergraduate programs, especially for pre-service teachers development. Also, this article raises my awareness in terms of the relation between practicum and school realities to understand the best tendencies to be taught in the classroom. 

On the other hand, teachers as facilitator and center models. Thus, it is important for us as teachers to make personal connections by showing an interest in each student. This is not only achieved through talking and sharing thoughts, but also through encouraging each student. also, listen to pre-service teachers' experiences in order to improve another practicum at Universities. 

The contributions from these articles have emerged to think that pedagogical experiences can contribute to language teaching education, teachers educators should pay more attention to a student teacher in order to see the positioning and understand the necessities and the new issues that can be researched. 

In the same vein, teachers´ pedagogical knowledge, the questions made by the presenter in regards to how do we as teachers learn to teach? this question makes me think that I learn to teach teaching when I started my carrier as an English teacher I had a lot conception about how to handle a class, but when I started realizing that I was going to learn to teach teaching it was a surprise for me. Also, that made me think that we as teachers learn the pedagogical and strategies in the undergraduate program what it's quite interesting. However, teachers educators have to make a revision of their classes in order to be coherence between realities and practicum.

Finally,  the connection between pedagogical knowledge and its transformation. Thus, according to the once who presented this topic the importance of research in our pedagogical practice. In the same vein, the relation between teacher knowledge and critical thinking. Quintero (2016) states" transform already exiting knowledge to knowledge itself". From this sense, these are connected to the transformation we as the teacher can do according to new insights in the different educational settings.

To sum up, the importance of the different topics presented by the teacher and peers in order to have new insights in an educational setting. Also, I opened my mind to new issues in a way that could be researched in our context. 

Third session Reflection

In this session, we as master students could give our voice in the US schooling and listen to the perception US students have about the schooling in Colombia, this exercise was quite interesting in the sense we could interchange our perception about others and self. 

On the other hand, the presentation was in the line of technology that it´s interesting because it´s the situation we are living nowadays with education and the virtuosity. Also, topics such as the need to unveil what happens in initial language teacher education and in-service teachers. 

In this line of thought, the idea of any single teacher has the same opportunities, some have the possibilities to study abroad some like me. I had the possibility to study at a national local context. However, I had the possibility to see different situations during my practicum what it is interesting to take into account in our teacher development. Also, the language proficiency issues that we can discuss in our context, and the discourse in order to overcome those barriers and to see beyond the language and become more practical consciousness, as well as being conscious of who we are in relation to others. 

In the sense of technology, I can say that technology has made a lot of changes in the educational setting. Hence, the change that could emerge from this quarantined time education is living it is something that really made me think because I am sure the new researches are going to emerge in term of technology and education, furthermore, the importance of taking into account situations lived by the public sector in Colombia, as we know there are students do not have the access to technology and that made it challenging for the teacher as well as students. From that sense, the importance of we as teachers search for the best strategies to handle education and virtuality.

Finally, all the topics studied during these three sessions have been important to my professional development as well as critical events that some of us lived in our undergraduate programs and that we are living in our master's program. Thus, the importance of those experiences to grow up professionally.