MAKING LANGUAGE LEARNING LESS BOT-RING: THE ULTIMATE MEDIATION INSTRUCTOR!

Hi, fellow teachers!

I can't stop moving on through the ever-evolving language teaching journey, can you? I am continuously seeking tools to enhance my students' learning experiences. One such tool that has captured my attention recently is the chatbot. Who hasn't heard about the wonders of @Mizou from @ELT_CATION, @blogdecristina and @EliGozalo? I couldn't resist following suit to uncover the mysteries of integrating bots in the ESL class!

As I was brainstorming ideas for my bot design, inspiration came quickly: What aspect causes the most insecurity among my C1 students? Undoubtedly, it's mediation! They struggle to understand how oral mediation works here in Galicia when it comes to the standardized exam: "Identify the main idea of a small text and highlight the most relevant pieces of information without adding any personal opinion or extra ideas". Challenging, isn't it?

So, I got down to it and started designing a chatbot experience with Mizou that I'm now excited to introduce: The Ultimate Mediation Instructor🥰. It is a new bot specifically designed to help students practice mediation skills, which - as I have mentioned - are a crucial component of standardized language exams in Galicia. Just like the exam teacher here and complying with the Galician standards, the instructor evaluates students' ability to summarize and streamline main ideas effectively, guiding and supporting them throughout the building process.

I have already implemented it in class and also asked my students for feedback on the tool. Students' opinions are key to my teaching job! Here are five compelling advantages they have found out:

• 24/7 Availability: They all agreed that this chatbot is available round the clock, providing them with instant access to mediation practice whenever they needed it so that they could engage with the task at their own pace. How convenient!
• Personalized learning: I tailored the interaction so that each student could choose their own area of interest for the bot to provide the right text to mediate. My students pointed out that this personalized approach fostered greater engagement and motivation. I was thrilled!
• Immediate feedback: According to my students, the most significant advantage of the Ultimate Mediation Instructor is its ability to provide instant feedback on their responses, which not only reinforced learning in real time but also helped them identify and address areas for improvement more efficiently.
• Promotion of Speaking and Writing Skills: Through supportive prompts, the chatbot encouraged my students to practice and refine their speaking and writing skills in a safe environment. This active engagement facilitated language production and fluency development. They were so focused!
• Autonomy Enhancement: My students agreed that they managed to take over their own learning process by exploring mediation independently, experimenting with different language structures, and tracking their progress live and over time!

I will try and continue to enrich language learning experiences in my classroom, embracing the possibilities that #AI offers in fostering meaningful and effective language acquisition. Also, I will keep on considering risks and challenges that need to be overcome! So, stay tuned for updates on this journey!

YOUR OPINION COUNTS!

In the age when information is power, the school is willing to gather as much data as possible from students to identify new needs. Our main goal is to set a new course scheme for the future and make a valuable contribution to your learning. I, as a teacher myself, would also like to work on how to improve my lessons and enhance our classroom atmosphere. 

That is why I am inviting you to take a bit of your time to complete the two surveys below before 22 March. Please, help us make the school a better place! Your insights and feedback will step both the school's and my efforts to enhance school life:

• School Survey
• Class Survey

Bear in mind that the answers are totally anonymous, so do not be afraid to complete the questions listed above. I would really appreciate it!

Thanks in advance!

EMERGENCY REMOTE TEACHING SURVEY

The school has inevitably embarked on this new adventure of remote teaching and we are looking forward to finding out whether the process is challenging enough or just back-breaking! In the age when information is power, we are willing to gather as many data as possible from students taking part in the online learning process at school. Our main goal is to identify needs and make a valuable contribution to learning.

How are you coping? Is distance learning effective enough for you? Please, do not hesitate to fill in the form below and help us gather information to continue to improve.

EMERGENCY REMOTE LEARNING

My students and I are striving to make the most of our emergency remote learning. Since our school was locked down, we have been keeping in touch via email, our blog and google sites to keep up the good work. The more engaging lessons are, the more focused they get. So, the next step was no other than virtual classes! And I just can't wait to meet them all again through Webex. Missing classes at school is not preventing us from moving on and learning as a team! We are stronger together!

CLASSROOM SURVEY RESULTS: THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING!

It is that time in the year when I gather my statistical class survey results. I am about to come up with a data analysis plan to begin the process of re-thinking my classes, just in case any weaknesses may appear.

Let's crunch the numbers and draw the right conclusions! Students' opinions count!

HELP ME IMPROVE MY CLASSES!

As a teacher, it is very important for me to think twice and consider whether my classes are effective enough and whether my students are willing to learn with me!

That is why I would like you to fill out the evaluation form below. It will help us both, my students and me alike, to realize if the job done is efficient and if our level of excellence is improving. Let's revise our performance in class!!

Bear in mind that the answers are totally anonymous so do not be afraid to complete the questions listed below. I would really appreciate it. Your deadline is Friday 28 February and the questionnaire results will be published then. Fingers crossed!

On the school website you will also find a questionnaire to give us your opinion about the school. You can click here if you want to participate!
Thank you so  much in advance for collaborating!! Your opinion counts!

FREE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEST: WHAT LEVEL ARE YOU?

There are many online sites that give you the opportunity to check what your English level is. However, this is one I particularly like. It is simple, quick but very enlightening!

How optimistic are you? Would you like to give it a try? Then, take the free test on the image to check out where you are on the official scale of European Levels and give your English a boost!

SCHOOL SURVEY: HELP US IMPROVE!

As usual at this time of the year, it is time to complete the school survey here and give us your feedback on how to do better! Click on the link and get straight into it. Do not forget to be honest and take it seriously because your opinion counts!

SCHOOL EVALUATION SURVEY

The School Evaluation Survey is here!!

Most students know that this time of the year is the moment when we all look back to think about our performance as teachers. The school is really interested in knowing if its work is really relevant. That's why I would appreciate you taking a few minutes to fill in this evaluation form. The deadline is extended until Wednesday, 28 February. We are hoping to achieve full participation this year. This is your opportunity to help us work towards positive change. 

The survey remains anonymous so feel free to support the school and participate.Thank you for taking your time to complete this survey!!

SURVEY RESULTS

Here you can see an overview of the results of the class survey you did last week. All your answers have been gathered here for you and me to analyse them and enhance our learning experience. As for me, I've just realised I need to slow down my classes a little bit, so thanks for the hint! I promise I will try!

And what about you? What is your conclusion from the results? Please give us your opinion in the comments section below.

Thanks a lot for participating!!

HELP ME IMPROVE MY CLASSES!!

As a teacher, it is very important for me to think twice often and consider whether my classes are effective enough and whether my students are working hard. That is why I would like you to fill out the evaluation form below. It will help us both, my students and me, to realize if the job done is efficient and if our level of excellence is improving. Let's revise our performance in class!!

Remember that answers are totally anonymous so do not be afraid to complete the questions listed below. I would really appreciate it. Your deadline is Friday 17 and the questionnaire results will be published then.

On the school website you will also find a questionnaire to give us your opinion about the school. You can click here if you want to participate!.

Thank you so  much in advance for collaborating!!

CLASS SURVEY RESULTS

Here you can see an overview of the results to the assessment of the learning process we have carried out on our blog. All your answers have been gathered here for us to analyze them. The purpose of this is to contribute to enhance your experience as English learners. As for me, I have just realized I need to slow down my classes a little bit!! So, thanks for the hint!! I promise I´ll try!!

OUR CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT

I would like my Intermediate students to participate in the assessment of the learning process that is taking place in class. By filling in the questionnaire below, you will help me evaluate all the key processes of my work. Help me gather complete information about how our classes evolve in order to make the right decisions to improve my job. I promise I will use the results to ensure my classes do not only survive but thrive!!

Fill in the form below and submit your answers at the end. Let me know if you have any problems with the process and I'll try to help you out. 

Please, do not fill in this questionnaire if you are not one of my students.

Thanks for collaborating!!