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Teaching with new multimedia technology and digital boards

Monday, June 14th, 2010

Elements

At Mester Academy we strive to stay at the cutting edge of teaching, employing the latest technologies and teaching methods to ensure our Spanish students are given the best classes they can be given.

One of our most recent advances at the Academy is the installation of a number of digital boards in the classrooms. These teaching aids provide the teachers with a larger selection of resources than ever before, guaranteeing the classes are as dynamic and interesting as possible.

Incredibly easy to use and set up, the boards can be calibrated and made ready to use within a couple of minutes. A “pencil”, which works the same way as a PC mouse, is used when setting the board up: it marks out the 9 points between which the images will be projected and then later, writes or “clicks” on the options of whatever programme is chosen by the user. The movements of the pencil are detected by device fitted in the corner of the board and the image comes from a projector. These are the only three pieces which comprise the board, making it ideal for quick set-up and storage.

The elements of the digital board

Standard Uses

The applications are many and varied. From Internet to Spotify to all the usual Office applications, the boards can even be used as a normal PC. This enormous range of uses benefits both the students, who enjoy the classes more given the interaction aspect the boards add to the lessons, and the teachers, to who the boards give the opportunity to keep their lessons fresh and interesting. What is more, the teachers are able to save the classes given, as though the board was a usual PC, and so come back to them in the future or pass what’s been dealt with in class on to the students for home-study.

Different uses of the digital board

Other Uses

Examples of novel uses include the download of modern Spanish songs to exemplify a certain verb tense, style of vocabulary or syntactic use, the projection of recent newspaper articles for class discussion and the showing of film clips as a means to show students anything from “real Spanish life” to interaction and dialogue between native speakers.

The many ways in which the board can be used

Conclusion

The installation of these boards is evidence of the Mester Academy’s dedication to teaching, something to bear in mind when picking a Spanish school in Spain. The opportunities for interaction which the board promotes ensure the students will be using, as well as studying, their new found language skills every single day – the only way to consolidate and accelerate foreign language learning.

Posted in News, Salamanca School, School, about Salamanca | No Responses »
Tags: Digital boards, new teaching methods, teaching technology

Learning week videos – from Salamanca!

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

A couple of our regulars to the Spanish school in Salamanca have made a couple of videos all about the language learning experience here!

Marcello and Angelo are from Italy and regularly bring over groups of students from their university to learn about tourism in Spain, as well as the necessary Spanish! Their trips always include visits to local hotels, as well as talks from people very relevant in the industry. They were nice enough to take some film footage of their experience here, including the beautiful architecture of Salamanca (the golden stones, the Plaza Mayor, the Casa de las Conchas, the University buildings, the Roman Bridge, the cathedrals…the list is endless!), the Mester Spanish school (great for if you’re interested in a course here!), the hotels (where the students learnt about the tourism industry and business in Spain) and the other excursions they did (the museum in Alberca for example!).

The group trips from university are always a great success at Mester – the students have varied days, meaning they’re always entertained and learning new things, with something to look forward to the next day! We design the programmes working alongside the course supervisors of the university to ensure it is completely apt and appropriate to what they are studying.

As well as giving them the chance to learn about the certain relevant aspects of Spanish culture (business, work, travel…) and the specialist vocabulary, they see people in careers which they might possibly think of for themselves in the future – a first hand experience of career guidance! This opportunity helps students to focus on their future, giving them real motivation for when they are back at home studying. It also stimulates their imagination, prompting them to consider jobs they may not have thought of before.

It’s also a great bonding experience for the group and will certainly be a highlight of their university course, as well as a chance for them to meet friends and make contacts from all over the world – taking part in the activity programme of the school, exploring the city, going on excursions, talking to locals… The activity programme organised by the school, as well as the cultural events in Salamanca, help this bonding process – there really is choice for everyone! From cookery classes to guitar lessons to excursions to other cities to typical Spanish meals, film nights, art conferences, history talks, sports competitions and tapas tours throughout the city, the students don’t have a second to be bored in! Whats-more, all this interaction and social activity boosts the Spanish learnt in the classroom no end and helps the students become capable of using their Spanish in a social environment, a very important aspect in becoming fluent and comfortable with a language.

Should you be interested in a group trip to learn Spanish in Spain, don’t hesitate in contacting us – we’ll coordinate with you and tailor the course to meet your needs. Also – don’t forget to add us as a friend on Mester to keep up with all the news, see the photos and videos and make contacts!

Posted in Group programs, Salamanca Program, Salamanca School, School, Video, Video About Salamanca | No Responses »
Tags: group trip salamanca, learn spanish salamanca, videos salamanca

Bringing Spanish teaching into the age of technology!

Friday, April 16th, 2010

Taking a Spanish course in Spain can never be a bad thing – it’s a chance to open your eyes to a different culture, meet new and interesting people, see a bit of the world, gain independence and, above all else, learn a second language, something which will make it so much easier for you to do all these other things in the future!

Digital Board in class!

However, how you learn Spanish matters a lot. Sometimes it’s a hard road – grammar, accent, word patterns… It takes perserverance and though for the good majority of the time you’ll be having fun picking up your second language (talking with new friends over coffee, enjoying foreign film, reading local newspapers…), as with all skills, to be successful, an element of graft is necessary. And this graft is made so much easier with new dynamic teaching methods, with the use of technology for example.

Spanish teaching with digital board!

At Mester Spanish Academy we’ve taken this on board and as a result, improved our classrooms with the additions of digital boards – allowing teachers to bring in new teaching resources and materials and impart their classes in a much more flexible, interactive way.

Spanish class using technology

The digital boards allow much more class participation, meaning the students have plenty of opportunity to involve themselves in the class, speak Spanish and contribute towards the class.

Digital boards have many uses – they are projected onto a wall and can be “written upon”, have a tactile screen and can present a variety of documents and programmes.

And it’s not just the students who see a direct benefit. Having an interested class makes so much difference to a teacher, seeing results and how the students are keen to participate. Furthermore, as a side-benefit, the fact that not so much paper has to be used in class – for handouts, question sheets, etc – means the environment sees benefits too! It really is the way forward for teaching.

Using digital board

So, even though any Spanish course in Spain is a great decision both personally and professionally, to really see your money’s worth and to take 100% advantage of the opportunity, pick a course which uses the most up to date teaching methods, what actively encourages student participation and what is leading the way and pushing boundaries in its field.

Posted in News, Salamanca School, School, about Salamanca | 2 Responses »
Tags: digital board, spanish teaching, teaching methods, teaching with technology

What’s New in Salamanca for 2010?

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Now we’re in the New Year , there’s a whole host of new activities and events that have come to Salamanca – ideal for those doing a Spanish course in the city who will benefit from the cultural insight and have a chance to use the Spanish they learn in their Spanish school outside of the classroom.

When are you free?

There really is something for everyone – from theatre to art exhibitions and dance to concerts. Some is of a very Spanish nature (the flamenco show of “Flamenco en 4 Estaciones” for example) whilst some of are a more international nature (“El Holandés Errante” for example – a Czech opera from Prague). So whatever it is you feel like seeing, Salamanca´s activity programme have something for you.

A new production to Salamanca!

Something we would advise not missing out on, however, would be the aforementioned flamenco show. “Flamenco en 4 Estaciones” gives a real image of this dance-art as fun, accessible and enriching musical expression. For children, it is an ideal introduction to an art form which really could change their life!

The most traditional of Spanish dances!

Another highlight of the recent activity programme is the Erwin Olaf exhibition at the DA2 gallery. The Dutch artist presents “Darts of Pleasure” – a selection of his best work from 1984 to 2009. Described as classic, contemporary, ironic, transgressive (and much more) – it would seem he is an artist not easily defined. His impacting photography reflects our conception of identity, fashion, consumerism and other major themes in today´s ever changing world. Having been given the whole ground floor of DA2, Erwin Olaf is an important artist with something to say and until 21 February, you can find out what.

Staying with art, why not check out a product of the University of Salamanca’s Bellas Artes faculty, Pablo García. His show, Desideratum, is also showing at DA2 – this time until 24 January. He presents us with a selection of photo-paintings, texturized on canvas. His art searches for the sinister aspects of day to day imagery – with rabbits and batman featuring in his work, it´s surely like nothing you´ve seen before!

If exhibitions aren´t for you, however, then there is still plenty going on in Salamanca to entertain you! “Me Llamo Rachel Corrie” (My Name is Rachel Corrie) is showing at the Liceo Theatre and tells the story of a North American lady who travelled to Palestine and was subsequently killed. Considered a martyr by some yet a traitor by the American people, this true story discovered through her personal diary and e-mails and is something to remember.

A tense true story

So whatever it is you feel like doing outside of class time, take advantage of the cultural programme – it´s a great way to meet like-minded people and open your eyes to new cultures!

Posted in Activities, Salamanca School, School, in Salamanca | No Responses »
Tags: Activities in Salamanca, Study Spanish in Salamanca, things to do Salamanca

The sweet taste of “Chocolate con churros”.

Friday, October 9th, 2009

Evelin loves churros, isn't it?

I am sure that during your stay in Spain you have heard about “chocolate con churros”.Most of you have experienced the crunchy taste of “churros” tipped in a hot chocolate.But why is “chocolate con churros” that populare in Spain?

The tradition of eating “churros” started way back in XIX century, in Madrid. The most important reason why “churros” spreaded all over the Spain was the low cost and the huge amount of energy that was perfect for the workers to start a hard day full of physical work. In that time “chocolate con churros” was called as the fruit of the pan.

There are many different ways to eat ” churros” . You can tip it inside your coffee or if you want to experience more extreme taste you can try tipping it into cognac or anis. But the most popular way of eating “churros” has allways been with hot chocolate.The perfect way to serve out “chocolate con churros” is to serve it in a porcelaine cup full of resent made chocolate. The chocolate is served out with six to eight “churros”, including a class of water and sugar in case of somebody wants to have a sweeter beginning for the day.You can eat “churros” while they are still hot or you can eat them cold, it does not matter, they will maintain the crunchy taste. It is common that hot “churros” are served in north Spain and cold “churros” in south Spain.

The place where you can eat “churros” is named Churreria . Usually it is a place where tables and the floor

Serving churros to the students

are decorated with marmol.Also there are “Churrerias” that offers you a take away service.The opening time of the Churrerias is usually at 5 or 6 am.Why so early? So that the workers could have a decent breakfast before starting a hard day. Nowadays the costume has changed a little bit, in the early hours “Churrerias” are also visited by young people that have just finished partying and are looking for a memorable way to end a night out with their friends.Also “Churros” are served in a normal terrace or a coffee place. So that whenever you get hungry for a cup of chocolate with churros you can enter to a first coffee place, that gets on your way, without looking for a “Churreria”. Also you may see booths on the streets that offers you “churros” with various size, shape and taste, so you do not even have to look for it, just follow the warm flavor of “Churros” mixed with a sweet smell of Chocolate.

The students enjoying their Spanish breakfast.

It is known that Spanish people love to communicate . Many of the times the reunions are accompanied with “Chocolate con churros”. What could be better than enjoying a cup of hot chocolate with”churros” while telling stories to your friends, shatting with your nabours, or sharing your concerns with your parents. Eating “Chocolate con churros” is not only a way to aliment yourself it is also a good way to communicate with people and to brighten up your day whenever you feel blue.

Posted in Activities, Photos and Pictures, Salamanca, Salamanca School, School, in Salamanca | 1 Response »
Tags: Chocolate, Chocolate con Churros, Churreria, churros, spanish breakfast, Spanish snack

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