In Sea Teacher Project i have a great chance to practice. There are various purposes through the practicum in this wonderful project. It follows below:
+ To enable the student teachers to develop their teaching skills and
pedagogy.
+ To encourage the student teachers to practice their English skills.
+ To allow the student teachers to gain a broader regional and world view.
+ To expose future teachers to diverse teaching and learning situations and opportunities, and the value of flexibility.
In my opinion, i think i meet all of purposes through my practicum in The
Demonstration school of VRU (DS.VRU).
I also have some main purpose which i have
to attend for my self:
+ Have more understanding about Thai education to experience about advanced
education.
+ Make lesson plan in English and teach this lesson plan by English.
+ Improve my teaching skills and pedagogy by my mentor reflection.
+ Improve my English skills in my major and communication.
+ Exchange cultural.
2.Procedures of practicum
The procedures from Sea Teacher project
1st Stage: Orientation and class observation
2nd Stage: Teaching assistant
3rd Stage: Teaching in classroom
4th Stage: Reflection and lesson learned
In VRU and VRU i
have a procedures of practicum which is follow the procedures of Sea Teacher
project. But it have a bit different for flexible in school:
VRU:
+ VRU Orientation Day ( Meeting President,
Dean of Faculty of Education, Mentor, and all of buddies)
+ Field trip
+ Farewell Party and Cultural Exchange
DS.VRU:
+ get my
personal schedule
+ Meet my
co – operating teacher
+
Observation
+ Prepare
lesson plan
+ Practice
teaching
+
Reflection from mentor and co – operating teacher
+ Sumary
3.Outcomes of Practicum
At the end of practicum in Sea Teacher project, Exchange students must to:
+ Develop teaching skill and pedagogy.
+ Improve English skills.
+ broaden their broader regional and
world view.
+ Solve teaching and learning
situations by themselves.
+ Learn more about advanced education.
4.The challenges of practicum
In Sea Teacher project we have a chance
to teaching in English. During my practicum in DS.VRU I realize some challenges
for me which I have to try my best to pass these challenges:
Language
The first challenge in my
practicum is language because we who come from different country use different
language.
+
My student can speak English fluently.
+
It is really hard to explain knowledge in English because it is not my mother
language.
+
There is a lot new specialized vocabulary in my lesson.
+
My English skills are not good.
Although there are some problems
in language, I improve it during my
practicum:
+
I try to speak loudly and slowly.
+
I design activities in my lesson so that my student can be easy to understand
knowledge.
+
I try to study new specialized vocabulary when I make lesson plan.
+ I practice and learn English everytime.
Cultural differences
One of challenges in my
practicum is cultural differences
I
don’t know something which I should do and don’t for polite in Thailand
It
is really lucky when I get Sea Teacher handbook from VRU. There are various
useful information for exchange students in this book such as: VRU map, VRU
mentors and buddies, School host information, Local transportation. Last but
not least, I see the content which is “Do and Don’t” in this book. I read
carefully everything in this content.
5.Overall impression
My impression in Sea Teacher
project is that I have great chance to join in international working environment
which give me a ton of experiences.
Sea Teacher project create my effort.
Everyday
I meet and work with everyone who comes from Indonesia and Thailand, they work
really hard and they are talented people. Therefore I learn more about them and
I always make effort to adapt with my work in this project to complete myself.
Sea Teacher project give me chance
to develop my English skills
In
VRU Demonstration school I communicate with everyone by English. Although my
English skill is not good, I try my best to learn more to communicate with
everyone. In my opinion, My English skill is improve. It is simply because I do
everything in English in Thailand such as Communication, making my lesson plan
in English and Teaching in English.
The best place to exchange culture
is Sea Teacher project
we
who come from different country in the word. Therefore when we meet together in
Thailand, we have a lot cultural stories to say together. We say about
currency, custom, dishes, economic, education etc. that is lesson about culture
which is forever keep in my mind.
Sea Teacher create international
teacher
I
have new experiences in my major which is Biology Education. I have a great
chance to learn more about Thai education. I learn the way to prepare a lesson
plan in English, I have a great opportunity to teach in English, I get comments
about my practice from my mentor. All of it makes me better day by day to
become an international teacher who can able to teach in English.
6.Suggestions for future improvement
– After i joined batch 8 of Sea Teacher Project, i hope that this wonderful project can more develop to all of nation in The southeast of Asia.
– The project should have some shorter batches about 2 weeks. There are some universities which students can not joined over 2 weeks because the rules of their school which don’t allowed student to be absent over two weeks.
Before my practice I did so many activities which would support me for my practice. First of all, I contacted with my mentor in Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat university (VRU) and my co – operating teacher in The Demonstration school of Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat university (DS.VRU) for my topics and substances of topics. Next, I prepared for my lesson plan. After that, i sent it for my mentor and Co – operating teacher to check it. At the same time, I observed my co – operating teacher to have experience in Thai school such as: how to manage students in class, procedures of teaching, how to manage time, how to handle situation in class, etc.
In my practice, I carry out step by step.
1.1 preparing and introduction about my self
I came in 2/4 class. Next, I prepared all of materials which were used in my teaching such as: my laptop, projector, worksheet, my powerpoint. When everything was ready for teaching, I greeted my student and introduced about myself.
1.2
teaching
I started my lesson by asking some questions for making motivation. Next, my students and I explored a new topic which was digestive system. Firstly, I taught them about the functions of digestive system. Next, I taught them about the name of each organ in English. After that, I gave them worksheet and asked them to finish activity 1 in worksheet. After they had remembered all of organ names, I asked them to complete activity 2 in worksheet. Next, I asked them to work in pair for watching video and completing activity 3 in worksheet. Next, I made an activity for them to apply their knowledge through a situation. Finally I evaluated their understanding through some multiple choice questions. I fixed and explained about answers for my student after they had completed activities.
1.3
Closing
I got all of their worksheets to check for each student and gave them next day. Finally, I said good bye and thank my students for their hard study.
Some pictures in my practice teaching
2.Some pictures in my practice teaching
I had three main steps in my teaching. However, my time was focus in teaching step because I went to class early to prepare everything which was about tools and materials.
To be honest, the time which I guessed in my lesson plan was not completely accurate. my time in each step in class as below:
Preparing and introduction: less than 5 minutes.
Teaching: 35 – 40 minutes.
Closing: 5 – 10 minutes.
3.Problem – solving
I had some problems in my teaching because it was my first teaching in English. It was really lucky for me when I had a chance to teach in English which was observed by my mentor and co – operating teacher because I got some useful advices from them after my teaching.
1.Evaluation my student
My first problem which I need to improve is about evaluation after each of unit knowledge. I should make some questions such as: how, why instead multiple choice question.
2.Management my time
The problem is that I am not good at management my time in this lesson because I finished my lesson more early than 50 minutes. My mentor told me that I should make more questions for evaluation and explain for students some things which they don’t understand clearly instead of finishing my lesson early.
3.How to teach knowledge better
My mentor told me that I need to divide the knowledge about the functions of each organ into own steps for each organ. This advice is really useful for me to improve my problem.
4.Classroom management
In my teaching I think I can manage my students in class 2/4 because I can attract them in my lesson. In addition, I designed my activities which ask all of student have to do it because I will be random some students for asking them.
1.Walking around class
When I ask student to do their work in worksheet I go around the class to manage them better and it is a chance for me to guide them for doing their work.
2.Asking student who is distraction to answer something
I tend to ask students who is distraction in my lesson to answer my question. In my opinion, I can help them to realize that they need to have more focus in the lesson.
The curriculum which is used in Demonstration School of Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University, follow the basic education core curriculum B.E. 2551 (A.D. 2008). You can read it below:
2.Teaching plan related to my major (Biology Teacher Education)
In order to make my lesson plan which i would teach in demonstration school, i had to contact with my mentor in VRU and my Co – operating teacher in DS.VRU after i had got my personal schedule for practice and observation from DS.VRU.
First, when i got my schedule, i met my co – operating teacher to got my topic which i would prepare to teach. My co – operating teacher gave me a topic which was about human digestive in grade 8. She told me that “you could teach by your way, but you had to follow Thai education curriculum”. It was really a challenge for me. Therefore i had to try my best to pass this challenge. I know that it would give me more experience in education when i conquered it.
After that, i met my mentor to discuss about contents which i should teach in my topics. He told me that he would observe me in final week. He also gave me some useful advices for my lesson plan and my practice such as: contents which i should teach, management time in lesson. His advices was extremely useful for my practice.
Moreover, i got help from a my thai friend to have a thai student textbook in grade 8 to refer. she explained me about knowledge in this book. In addition, I also read the basic curriculum in thai education to follow in my lesson plan.
When i made my lesson plan, i tried to design activities to help students for understand knowledge. I made my lesson plan which followed steps which i had learned in my university in vietnam.
Steps in my lesson plan:
+Engagement
+Exploration
+Explanation
+Elaborate
+Evaluation
In first step which is engagement, i made motivation for students to join my lesson through some questions about their life.
In exploration step, i introduced about knowledge which students had to learn in this lesson.
I explained knowledge and helped student to understand fund of knowledge in explanation step.
I made a situation for students to apply their knowledge in life in Elaborate step.
Finally, i gave them some questions to evaluate their understanding in evaluation step.
I used some materials in my lesson plan such as: diagram, video, worksheet. All of materials helped student to understand and apply their knowledge. It also helped me to evaluate and got feedback from my students.
The main contains in digestive system topic:
The functions of human digestive system
The name of organs in human digestive
The function of each organ in human digestive system
Honestly, when I observed my co – operating teacher in DS.VRU i realized that she combined both Student center learningand Teacher center learning. In her teaching she provided knowledge for student step by step.
+First, she introduced about knowledge unit which students would study in lesson.
+After that she explained about essence of that knowledge unit.
+Finally, she asked students to do some works in worksheet to apply their knowledge which they had studied.
I could see my teacher used demonstration method, question and answer method, team work method in her teaching.
Some pictures in my observation
I had a chance to observe a class in laboratory, I could see that teacher done an experiment to teach about a new knowledge unit. This method is really intuitive for understanding.
The Teacher do an experiment
2.Their learning materials and innovation
In DS.VRU teacher uses a lot of materials to teach.
Firstly, teacher uses technology devices which serve for their teaching. The popular device which is used in class is screen or projector. It is used to slide show powerpoint which is also one of the materials in learning.
Secondly, I was really impressed about a mean of materials in DS.VRU which is called worksheet. Worksheet is used really popular in teaching in DS.VRU. It contents a lot of things which students have to complete after they study a knowledge unit. Moreover worksheet can content essence which is provide information for students.
In addition, there are some materials such as: models, real specimens which is prepared by teacher, video and etc.
Some materials from my teacher and my vietnamese friend
In my opinion, there is a lot innovation in DS.VRU. First of all, They apply modern technology in their teaching. The second innovation is that they make a lot chances for student to practice So that their students can develop so many skills and apply it in their life.
3.Sources of learning and technology used by the teachers
The sources of learning used by the teachers: teacher textbook, library, their knowledge, internet.
The technology which is used in DS.VRU from difference sources :
+School equipment
+Teacher equipment
+ Student quipment
4.Authentic assessment used by the teachers
The two main exams for measurement and evaluation in DS.VRU:
CHAPTER 1. General Information and Academic Administration of The Demonstration School of Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University Under the Royal Patronage (DS.VRU.)
1. School profile
Logo of the school
Logo of The Demonstration School of Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University Under the Royal Patronage
Logo of The Demonstration School of Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University Under the Royal Patronage (DS.VRU.) is logo of Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University (VRU) because this school is a part of VRU. The main color of Logo is green. The color green was chosen as the school color because green is the color associated with wednesday, which is the day of the week on which H.R.H Princess Valaya Alongkorn was born.
School Name
The Demonstration School of Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University Under the Royal Patronage (DS.VRU)
The Demonstration School of Valaya Aklongkorn Rajabhat University under the Royal Patronage (DS.VRU.) School was established in 1974. It was located in the area of Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University under the Royal Patronage Pathum Thani.
2.Academic support system
The Demonstration School of Valaya Angkor Rajabhat University under the Royal Patronage (DS.VRU) has many facilities to support for academic of students. Moreover in this school has various facilities which provide services for their daily life to study better.
Firstly, DS.VRU has several classrooms for study. In each of classroom have a large screen for presentation, students product display board, students have a own table which is really flexible for discussion.
Some facilities which support for students in class
Secondly, This school has the laboratories which serve for Learning science. There are a variety of models and tools in this rooms. In addition the screens also are equipped in this rooms for teaching. Moreover the table in here is large table for team work. The reason why the laboratories are equipped quite well is that students spend a lot of time for practice in the laboratories. In addition, there is musical room where students learn music.
There are projector, large table, models in the laboratory
Next, library is a room which is in the center of classrooms, the library is designed with colorful which makes more comfortable for student to study in this room.
The library of DS.VRU
Moreover, the school yard is really big for an outdoor activities and learning physical education.
flag ceremonyin the school yard
Last but not least, there are some facilities which provide services for daily life of student such as: canteen, a room which student’s phones are stored, photocopy room, convenient store, health officer, etc.
The convenient store
3.Teaching system
+ In my observation, the teaching system at DS.VRU is combination of teacher center learning and student center learning.
+ Each teacher teaches one subject.
+ There are teachers who get mission as a supervision teacher.
+ There are teachers who work as officer in school.
+ DS.VRU gets teacher students who are from universities for practice. Teacher students teach as a assistant for official teacher. They sometime teach as a main teacher under the supervision of official teacher.
+ Teachers teach both knowledge and school rules for their students.
4. Material and other learning sources
Worksheet
Student textbook
Models
Slide powerpoint
Student tablet
Some materials and learning sources
Teacher in DS.VRU has a ton of materials which support for their teaching. They used text books, slide powerpoint, Videos, models, white boards.
Students in this school have many learning sources which from themself such as student textbook, tablet which often use in group students. Moreover they use some things which from their teacher and school such as worksheet which is popular, books from the library of school or document from their teacher.
5. Measurement and evaluation system
In DS.VRU teacher gives their students points for measurement their understanding.
There are two main exams in DS.VRU, they are midterm and final exam for measurement and evaluation. Moreover, teacher often checks their students through giving homework and checking it later. Checking students notebook is also a way to evaluate in DS.VRU. In addition, teacher can evaluate their students at the end of a topic or some topics by a test.
6. Curriculum
There are three school levels:
Pre – school
Primary school
Secondary school
In each level, there are three curriculums including:
Le Hoang Thuc 