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University of Puerto Rico at Humacao

English Department

Special Project: Part 1 & 2

Alfonso Casta Martínez High School

Maunabo, Puerto Rico

Cooperating Teacher: Sonia N. Aponte Aponte

Group: 12-2

Luis E. Pabón Martínez

842-07-6105

Practice Teaching

EDPE 4006/4018

Dr. Aníbal Muñoz Claudio

May 5, 2014

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Table of Contents

I. Purpose …………………………………………………………………………. 2

II. Justification …………………………………………………………………...... 3

III. Permanence …………………………………………………...………………... 4

IV. Action Plan ………………………………………………………...................... 5

V. Action Plan Table ……………………………………………………………… 6

VI. Results ………………………………………………………………………….. 7 - 8

VII. Reactions ……………………………………………………………………….. 9

VIII. Recommendations …………………………………………………………….... 10

IX. Appendix ……………………………………………………………………….. 11 - 21

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Purpose

The special project that I chose and preferred to do in the Alfoso Casta Martínez High

School is to convert the regular English classroom into an English Lab. I chose to do this because

I love technology, and I believe that in this era it should be integrated into the class every time it

is possible. Many jobs and tasks in today’s world require computers and other forms of

technology in order to work. Students need to be able to work with all kinds of technology, but

mostly computers. My goal as an educator is to facilitate learning, and technology allows me to

do that. Through the use of computers, the students will be motivated to work and they will be

unconsciously improving their vocabulary by searching the web, reading, and writing, but more

importantly, they will enjoy doing it because it takes them out of the “traditional” class.

As seen in my group profile, some of my students don’t have a computer or internet at

home. Providing these students with a technological environment will help them in the future

when they are in the work field or studying at the university. Motivation is also a key objective

in the school right now. Remodeling the classrooms, making them more “21st Century”, and

integrating the students in this project will get them motivated to come to school, work, and

study. This is not only my project, but theirs as well. Students will be excited with the outcome

and the legacy they will leave behind in their school.

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Justification

By making the English classroom and English Lab I will be promoting a new type of

classroom, a classroom equipped with the latest technology that is interactive, has different

learning centers, and will motivate the students to do their work. A big part of my learning

philosophy is Carl Roger’s Experiential Learning and Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis. In

Carl Roger’s Experiential Learning the learner needs to feel emotionally safe in order for the

learning to take place. They need an environment where they feel that their beliefs and values are

supported. In the Affective Filter Hypothesis, Krashen states that there is a wall or filter that is

influenced by emotional variables that can influence or prevent learning. This means that the

classroom’s atmosphere is as important as the lesson itself, which is why we must strive to make

the students feel comfortable and positive in their environment. That being said, this is my

justification for choosing this Special Project. I want the students of the Alfoso Casta Martínez

High School to have a good, safe, technological, and motivating learning environment.

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Permanence

This project will make the current English Classroom the permanent classroom for that

subject class. This will be accomplished by having English-related motivational quotes inside

and outside of the classroom (murals), and by having computers strictly prepared with English-

related software that the students can use in during the class. The only maintenance needed will

be that of the computers (which Windows takes care of itself), and the re-painting which the

school takes care of (and they can integrate the students to it as well). Everything else will be

made “plug and play”. Some of the computers will be received through donation, and the paint

and tools for the murals will be obtained through the program “Operación Éxito” who have been

working with Mrs. Aponte and me, and included us in their program for school improvement.

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Action Plan

The objective of my special project is to transform the English classroom into an English

lab equipped with computers, listening, reading, writing, and printing stations, and murals with

motivational quotes, thus creating a good learning environment with all the tools the teacher and

students need.

The activities that need to be done to accomplish this special project are:

Paint the classroom

Install electric outlets on the tables for ease of access

Add and install wireless router/network for ease of access to the printing station and/or

workgroup.

Paint Educational/Motivational Murals

Obtain and install additional computers (through donation) for the listening stations (any

extra computers go towards the school’s use)

Organize computer cabinet/locker with the help of the carpentry students.

Organize the listening, reading, writing, and printing stations.

These activities will be carried out during a specific timeline and completed before May 5th. The

special project started on January 31st with the painting of the classroom. The classroom was

fully painted by February 21st. Organization of the computer cabinet was done in the week of

February 24-28. Contact for the donation of additional computers began in the week of March 3-

7 with a project manager of the IT Department of the USDA. During the week of March 10-14,

measurements and planning will take place in order to install electric outlets on the tables. The

installment of said electric outlets will take place from March 17 – April 4. From April 7 to the

18th, I will purchase and install a router/network in the classroom for ease of access.

I am currently not working under a budget. I will be working through donations, materials

available in the school, made available by Operación Éxito, and with my personal finances.

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Action Plan Table

Date Activities Purpose Person(s) Involved

January 31-

February 21 Paint the classroom

Improve classroom

environment.

TC

Carpentry Students

Mr. Sugrañes

February 24-28

Organization of

computer cabinet and

computer stands

Be able to put the

laptops and chargers

in order, make it

accessible, and build

stands for the

computers.

TC

CT

Carpentry Students

Mr. Sugrañes

March 3-7

Contact IT

Department of the

USDA for the

computers donation

Obtain the

information

necessary for the

acquisition of

computers through

donation

TC

USDA IT

Department

March 10-14

Measure and plan for

the electric outlet

installation

Make a plan and take

the measurements on

the tables in order to

be able to get the

right tools and

materials needed to

install electric outlets

on the tables.

TC

CT

Carpentry Students

March 17 – April 4

Installation of the

electrical outlets on

the classroom tables

Install electrical

outlets on the tables

for ease of access

(plug and play).

TC

CT

Carpentry Students

April 7 – 18

Obtain and install a

router/network in the

classroom.

Make the classroom

wireless, give the

computers access to

the printing station

and teacher

workgroup.

TC

CT

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Results

The purpose of my special project was achieved. The classroom now has the necessary

tools to be a 21st Century Classroom. Technology was integrated successfully and has been

running smoothly. Students have been learning how to use the wireless printing station slowly.

They have learned how to switch between networks in the computers in order to have internet

access and/or be able to print their respective works.

With the students and Mrs. Aponte’s help, we managed to organize the classroom in a

way that we had different stations such as the reading station, writing station, listening station,

and printing station. The tables were linked together thanks to the students of the Carpentry class

(Group 12-2) with small metal sheets and screws. Luis Steven, from the 12-4 group, helped

install the multi-plugs and extensions to each table set in order to have ease of access to

electricity for the laptops. The classroom has been set so that there’s less clutter when it comes to

electricity cables and so that each device can take advantage of the wireless system put in place.

In addition my original special project, I managed to obtain 26 computers with monitors,

mice, and keyboards through donation. I took the initiative to contact the United States

Department of Agriculture (USDA) to inquire about equipment for donations. This equipment

was donated to the school, from which I installed 10 computers in Mrs. Aponte’s classroom for

the listening station, as well as a computer for her desk. The donation had a total inventory value

of $24,682.25. The School Director was very impressed and happy with the donation. She

mentioned that she liked the commitment to go above and beyond of what I had to do for my

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special project, that even some of the teachers she has in the school haven’t done something like

that. She said that she liked the initiative I had, and I have to say that I couldn’t have done it

without Mrs. Aponte’s encouragement, advice, and ideas.

Sadly, the work isn’t over yet. It is a long-term plan. We are still waiting for the

Department of Education of Puerto Rico to provide us with the necessary software in order to be

able to use the computers in the classroom. I know the equipment is in the right hands and that it

will be put to good use for the benefit of the students.

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Reaction

By completing this project I was able to promote the use of technology in the classroom.

The students were intrigued about what I was doing and they seemed to like that I was interested

in providing them a better education. The students were motivated in their daily activities

because they usually involved working on a computer, which some of them don’t have available

in their homes. Students from other grades showed curiosity and interest when I showed up with

the 26 computers, and some commented about how they were eager to get to 12th grade and take

the English class.

The faculty was very happy with the improvements done to the classroom and with the

donation as well. Some of them were eager to find out of some of the computers would be

assigned to them! I had to tell them that the remaining computers were to be assigned by the

school administrators because the donations were mainly for the English classroom. The School

Director was very impressed with my Special Project. She was mostly impressed by the

donations received because no one had done that before in the school. She said that we need

more teachers with the drive to improve the situation in their schools. A lot of the teachers would

rather sit and wait to receive things instead of going out and getting it themselves. Overall,

everyone in the school has reacted in a positive way to my Special Project, especially the

students, who appreciate all of the technology that has been integrated into their classroom.

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Recommendations

I believe that my Special Project was a success. I achieved more than what I had planned

for. I never thought that I could get such a big donation for the school. This experience has

opened up my eyes and taught me that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. It also

showed me how a lot of teachers today and complacent and don’t strive for more. If there’s

something that I’ve learned about Mrs. Aponte is that you always have to be on the lookout for

anything and everything, that you can’t just sit and wait for things to go your way or else you

may stay empty handed. I could have settled for the Special Project as it was, but I strived for

more and managed to get almost $25,000 in donations for the school. Way more than I would

have ever imagined I could have done.

If I could change or add something to my Special Project it would be to incorporate more

the students from the Carpentry group. I would have liked to have them build something

memorable for the classroom, something that went along with my Special Project and gave them

a feeling of accomplishment, their own legacy for the school. Another thing that I would have

liked to do was apply the same concept of the English lab throughout all of the classrooms in the

school. Other than that, I am very happy that my students got involved in my Special Project and

helped me throughout the whole semester. They embraced it and used it as much as they could.

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Appendix

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Picture #1

Laptop stands that the Carpentry students made for the cabinet.

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Picture #2

Wireless router that I bought in order to make the classroom wi-fi friendly,

allowing the students connect to the printers wirelessly.

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Picture #3

Listening station with one of the donated computers.

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Picture #4

Wireless router connected and working.

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Picture #5

Printing station working wirelessly.

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Picture #6

Classroom all set up ready for the students.

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Picture #7

Part of the remaining 16 computers awaiting distribution at the school

along with the mice, keyboards, and cables.

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Picture #8

Part of the remaining 16 computers awaiting distribution at the school.

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Picture #9

One multi-plug per set of three tables which has six electricity outlets for the laptops.

This setup helps eliminates the clutter of cables around the classroom.