My Closing ideas

                                                    

     

The social functions of teachers are very relevant. We all know that we are in charge of building moral and ethical bases or our society, which is one of the matters that distinguish our labor from other vocations. Considering this social role, Martínez Boom (1989) discuss the following statement: “Ninguna oportunidad es desaprovechada para poder referirse al maestro como el forjador del mañana, como el encargado de transmitir la herencia cultural a las nuevas generaciones” (p.50). Moreover, in the words of Plato: “The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life”. In that order of ideas, teachers face a big amount of challenges about the future generations. I have been an elementary school teacher for more than ten years. I have developed a complex thinking that gives me a general idea of basic and general competences at school and their development is a strong obligation. I am a teacher who really cares about my students, their knowledge and also their human needs. I consider the holistic vision of education where humanism is present at all my classes, tasks, lessons and assignments. I think that a school is a place for happiness, solidarity and personal accomplishment. Elementary school students get awareness about the world by a sensorial, pragmatic and intuitive conducts. They are curious and they enjoy scientific exploration because kids need to explain all the things they see at the reality.  I see children as potential social and natural scientist and I engage them to ask questions even though, we do not have an answer for everything we can look for the answer. For these reasons, I believe that my job creates a future for children; I would be completely satisfied teacher if I could develop human, scientific and artistic abilities on my students because a high quality education is the main base for their future. Consequently, we aim at engaging learners to empower knowledge to construct a different society involving individual and collective benefits likewise: cultural, economic, technological scientific and environmental profits and; connected by equal relationships between people all over the world.

Reference: 

Martínez Boom, A., CASTRO, J., & NOGUERA, C. E. (1989). Crónica del desarraigo: historia del maestro en Colombia. Bogotá: Cooperativa Editorial Magisterio.  

                                                             FINAL THOUGHTS

Before starting the course, I considered Ethics as a subject with no relevance as part of our subjects in this ESP. All of a sudden, I am discussing the issue with my students and workmates at Universidad de Antioquia. Then I realized it is important, and it is really essential to have this topic in all programs in any educational institute, for students as well as for educators. We will never get a consensus, but the open discussion and points of view do enrich our life and professional perceptions !!

Individual development

thinking about incorporating an education that privileges the individual development of abilities above the omogenization, I have remembered an experience attended a rural school, in it the teacher devided the classroom into several groups. I thought on the possibility to do my  work following this model. Taking into account that I already told you "In my pechakucha presentation" that the groups are 40 students with different learning rhythms, concerns, skills and needs . Do you think it would be a good strategy?

As I mentioned in my Pechakucha work, a basic ethical principle is having competence in our subject. Unfortunately, sometimes teachers belonging to other fields have to teach different topics they are not prepared for. We have seen teachers graduated from other careers teaching English, or as in the case of a friend of mine who  a biologist, but since he is good at sports, he has Physical Education in some groups !! I studied 5 years to have my degree in that area. My question is : Who is to blame ? The teacher ? The institution ??

Teachers have an important responsibility to society. A variety quantity of qualities is required for a good performance in this career. A certain level of intellectualism and humanism is essential because teachers work with knowledge and also with humans. Teacher´s job is so different from other professions. We have to be artist and scientists at the same time. Artist, when we interact to the educational community, I mean, colleagues, bosses, students and parents because we have to understand human conditions and to be as comprehensive as the context requires it. Scientist, when we develop learning skills, and abilities to empower knowledge. It is not the same thing working on machines, building houses and avenues.  The social functions of teachers are very relevant. We all know that we are on charge of building bases in the society. A hero personality is a requisite when problematic situations come up because you cannot get lots of money being a teacher but you can be an extremely happy person if you develop this career with passion and love. What are you reasons to work as a teacher? What is required to become a high quality teacher?

What does being ethical mean ?

We have just finished our third subject this semester, we are half way ! My question is: How ethical have we been so far with our academia ??

PECHAKUCHA

The experience with the oral presentations through PECHAKUCHA was interesting and a little stressful. Although it was the first time I made a presentation like this I felt that it was important to have control of the situation and to be 200% prepared for this purpose. On the other hand I think that presentations like Pechakucha do not allow us to interact with other people and I like to know what others think about what I do or say. Taking into account the feedback or points of view that the person can have of me, allows me to build my professional and personal world. We are likely to have many ideas in common or many against but the debate and the opportunity to share experiences and ways of thinking are absolutely important. This does not mean that I am closed to new experiences or activities. All the methodologies and activities with which I can grow and be better for others and myself will always be welcome.

-          How did you feel about this activity?

-          Do you think that this kind of exercises could be done with our students?

Ethical conflicts in teaching

according to Colnerud, G . (1997). In Ethical conflicts in teaching . Teaching and Teacher Education, 13(6), 627e635. the assumption that there are moral and ethical conflicts in the teaching profession, I want to bring up a question to discuss which is included in this article called Ethical and Moral matters in teaching and teachers education, the questions is What professional ethical conflicts do teachers experience and deal with in their work?
Available at: http://media.journals.elsevier.com/content/files/s0742051x10001587-04220948.pdf

Good morning to my loved “Academic Family” I want to express my feelings at this morning. Even though, when it is not allowed. Because, all this issue about being academic do not permit my feelings, emotions, own opinions without base on authors. Today, I cannot think about APA style or references I just can say that I feel panic for the presentations. I think about constantly trying to behave the most academic possible but there are many things that are just impossible. I do not want to be sorry for posting my emotions at this morning. May be the professor is going to reprove my behavior one more time. However, who said that scholars only think, produce knowledge or provide solutions by research? Who said that you cannot feel terrible about your personal development before a presentation that can be decisive?   Yes, I know the answer. I also know that challenges are made for the kind of people of us, academic family, people that do care about their personal and professional development. I wish you enjoy the staring of the day and we see in some minutes at the battlefield. 

Please, take a look!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0HCbbEn64E

Knowledge counselors

Teachers, like parents, should be moral references of students and children. Therefore, in order to transmit ethical values, it is indispensable that the teacher already has this knowledge with the firm intention of promoting personal and moral development in his students. "The professor of today, unlike other times must become a true tutor of humanity, leaving behind the concept of the teacher as a transmitter of knowledge." Roberto Sanz y Ana Hirsch (2016). One of the main objectives in the school is to train whole scholars, that is to say, human beings who have developed cognitive abilities with which to continue studies superiors and at the same time qualities that mold their personal, ethical, social and civic formation, with the purpose of modeling men and women of good that contribute positively to the society. The teacher in addition to imparting knowledge must teach to live.

Dear friends, taking into account your great work as teachers and with your experience. How can we teach our students to live? And what is to live?

Assessment as an ethical consideration

As teachers or trainers of an Educational Institution, we fall  into the error of implementing assessments without taking into account the specific knowledge or abilities of each one of the students. Even in many cases, we limit ourselves in a simple test as an assessment for all the process and not an overview of a whole formation. Colleagues, which one do you think should be the form or aspects to have present at the moment to evaluate a process related to the learning of a foreign language?

Changes In Education !!!

This image speaks for itself. Education has changed so much in our country that the roles have been invested for teachers. Professors are not only seen as baby-sitters, they are also the direct culprits when the student has bad grades. It is essential for parents to identify tutors as responsible for administering new knowledge to young people and children in institutions, taking into account that it is a primarily family process which continues in schools, fully coordinated between the two throughout the school period.

Do you believe that this image is repeated almost daily in schools today?

Ethical School Issues

Now, as school agents, we can see that historically in this particular niche, many considerable ethical issues that somehow have shaped teaching practices have been dealt with. In this opportunity, I would like you to bring forward to the group’s consideration, those particular matters that have concerned you and the way you have sorted them out.

What is Ethics then?

Going over class deliberation bringing together the definition of what ethics means, we were able to touch upon different interpretations of what this concept entails. So there are no right or wrong answers. Furthermore, ethics may seem more context sensitive than anything else. In other words, what may somehow affect us, could be considered an ethical issue. Nonetheless, this may be true till certain point since ethics also deals with the subjective being, so what might be good for someone might not be, for someone else.

Standards in education?

Standards in education?

English teachers working in public institutions should direct their academic work in accordance with the standards that the government has established for these institutions, which are mandatory in the area plans. However, when we read these standards do not seem to be connected with the real problems of our community. Initially they seem to be fantastic which should work great with students, but at the same time it is easy to identify that they do not fit easily into our working environment, many of them are out of context. In my opinion, whenever I read these documents about standards I think they have been developed in another country for another society very different from ours. In other words, it seems that the government does not know the real problems that most students have in schools as far as learning a second language is concerned. In conclusion:

-          1- Do the standards help us build better teaching?

-          2- Is it positive to standardize education in schools?

-         3-  Do you believe that by standardizing education the government aims to improve the educational level in institutions or is it another procedure to control the work of the teacher?

Welcome

I would like to welcome everyone to our 

Ethics Seminar. 

This blog will be a space to interact with one another respectfully. We will engage in different academic exchanges through our four sessions. I would like you all to establish your own ideas on the different ethical matters we will be considering in class. You are expected to participate at all times keeping a dynamic academic discussion.