Última revisión realizada:11/06/2020

Subject Name: Innovative Teaching Practices
Study: Degree in Primary Education (Bilingual Group)
ECTS Credits: 4
Year and four month period: Second year, first four month period
Type of subject: Compulsory

Presentation

Innovation and improvement of teaching practices have become an essential element for increasing the quality and efficacy of educational facilities.

The subject Innovation and improvement of teaching practices presents the transformation of educational reality by redefining the role of teachers.

We have focused particularly on those factors related to the teacher figure as an agent of innovation, exploring further those methodologies whose application in the classroom may enable the teacher to improve their practices and, above all and more importantly: the learning process for the students. Thus, we have focused on a practical manner, directly oriented towards the teaching-learning process, so it could also be useful for currently active teachers.

Despite the direct link usually made between teaching innovation or improvement and the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the classroom, ICT is not part of the explicit content of this work for two reasons. The main reason is that students have different subjects throughout their studies that deal in more depth the didactic application of ICT to teaching and its educational possibilities. And, secondly, because this way it is easier to distinguish teaching innovation from technological innovation, the lines of which are often too blurred in other works that address this matter.

Basic competences

  • BC2. Students know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner, and possess the skills that they usually demonstrate through the development and defence of arguments, as well as the resolution of problems within their area of study.

General competences

  • GC9. Perform tutoring and guidance functions with students and their families, addressing the unique educational needs of students.
  • GC11. Collaborate with the various sectors of the educational community and the social environment.
  • GC12. Assume the educational dimension of teaching and promote democratic education for active citizenship.

Specific competences

  • SC23. Relate education with the environment, and cooperate with families and the community.
  • SC24. Critically analyse and incorporate the most relevant issues of current society that affect family and school education: social and educational impact of audio-visual languages and screens; changes in intergenerational and gender relationships; multiculturalism and interculturality; discrimination and social inclusion and sustainable development.
  • SC26. Know the school curriculum of these sciences.

Module I. Innovation and improvements in teaching practices

Unit 1. Innovation and improvements in teaching practices

  • Introduction

Unit 2. Innovation and improvement projects for teaching practices

  • How to study this unit?
  • Introduction

Module II. Schools as a unit of improvement

Unit 3. Management and leadership in schools

  • Objectives
  • Introduction

Module III. Teachers as agents of innovation

Unit 4. The training of the teaching professionals

  • How to study this unit?
  • Introduction

Unit 5. Creativity in education: principle of improvement and innovation in teaching

  • Introduction

Unit 6. Towards more autonomous and cooperative learning (I): learning to know

  • Introduction

Unit 7. Towards more autonomous and cooperative learning (II): social and emotional learning

  • Introduction

Unit 8. Towards more autonomous and cooperative learning (III): learning by doing

  • Introduction

Unit 9. The assessment of learning

  • Introduction

The different tasks and activities programmed during the semester have been developed with the goal of adapting the learning process to the different capabilities, necessities and interests of the students.

The activities included in the subject are:

  • Work. These are activities of different types: reflection, case analysis, practice, etc.
  • Participation in events. Events are scheduled every week of the semester: virtual face-to-face sessions, discussion forums, tests.
  • Reading commentary. This is a very specific type of activity that consists in the analysis of texts of articles by expert authors in different units of the subject.

In the weekly program you can find the specific tasks you need to complete in this subject.

Download the program

These activities are combined with the following aspects:

  • Personal Study
  • Tutoring. The tutoring class can be implemented through different tools and means. During the course of the subject, the teacher-tutor plans the individual tutoring on specific days for the resolution of academic-oriented doubts through “Consultation sessions”. Supplementing these sessions, students have also available the “Ask your teacher” forum through which they can formulate questions and check the corresponding answers on general aspects of the subject. Due to the very nature of the media used, there are no fixed schedules for the students.
  • Mandatory on-site final exam.

The hours dedicated to each activity are detailed as follows:

ASSIGNMENTS HOURS
Attendance to virtual classes 14 hours
Master classes 8 hours
Basic material study 34 hours
Reading the additional resources 8 hours
Tasks and self-evaluation tests 19 hours
Tutoring 11 hours
Collaborative work, forums, debates, etc. 5 hours
Final exam 1 hours
Total 100 hours

Basic bibliography

The section Basic Bibliography is essential for the course. If any document (reading, article,…) is not available in the virtual classroom, you will have to find it by other means: UNIR bookshop, virtual library…

  • Pérez Sancho, C. (Coord.). (2011). Innovación y mejora de la práctica docente. Logroño: UNIR. Disponible en el aula virtual.

The evaluation system is based on the following numerical chart:

0 - 4, 9 Suspense (SS)
5,0 - 6,9 Approved (AP)
7,0 - 8,9 Notable (NT)
9,0 - 10 Sobresaliente (SB)

The grade is made up of two components:

On-site final exam (60%). At the end of the semester, you need to assist a mandatory on-site final exam. You need to pass the final exam so the grade obtained from the assignments (continuous assessment) is summed up to the final grade of the subject.

Continuous assessment (40%): this type of assessment will be measured through the different assignments you need to complete during the course:

Remember that you can check the points (value) of each assignment in the weekly program.

Take into account that the sum of the grades of the assignments included in the continuous assessment is 6 points. You can do as many as you want to until a maximum grade of 4 points (which is the maximum grade you will be obtaining in the continuous assessment). In the weekly program, you can find the grade of each assignment.

Assessment method Min - Max Score
Participation in forums, classes, etc. 0% - 40%
Task, practice cases and activities 0% - 40%
Self-evaluation test 0% - 40%
On-site final exam 60% - 60%

María Teresa Martín de Lama

Formación académica: Máster en Educación Bilingüe, Grado en Filología Inglesa y Española, Diplomatura en Magisterio Lengua Inglesa. Actualmente cursa estudios de doctorado. Cuenta con amplia formación complementaria y continua en lenguas extranjeras (inglés, sueco y francés), en didáctica de lenguas extranjeras, educación bilingüe y enseñanza en entonos virtuales. También ha realizado diversas estancias profesionales y de formación en Suecia, Inglaterra, Irlanda y Estados Unidos.

Experiencia: Cuenta con dilatada experiencia en la enseñanza y el diseño de docencia de inglés como lengua extranjera y de educación bilingüe (presencial y online). Ha sido Coordinadora de estudios universitarios, tutora de trabajos fin de máster y de prácticas docentes para diversas instituciones, además de Asesora Lingüística del programa bilingüe MECD/British Council y docente en la Universidad de Mälardalens (Suecia). Actualmente es profesora, investigadora y autora sobre bilingüismo y enfoque CLIL.

Líneas de investigación: Es autora de diversos artículos y ponente sobre bilingüismo, metodología CLIL y enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras en entornos virtuales.

Studying online means you can organize your study as you wish, as long as you meet the due dates of the different assignments (activities, tasks and tests). In order to help you, we propose the following steps:

  1. From our online platform you will have access to each of the subjects you are enrolled. Apart from this, the virtual classroom of Lo que necesitas saber antes de empezar (All you need to know before starting). In this section, you have available all the documents on how to use the different tools included in the virtual classroom, how a subject is organized and you will also have the possibility to organize your study plan with the tutor.
  2. Do not forget to check the weekly program. You will see which part of the content of the course you have to work on every week. You will see which part of the content of the course you have to work on every week.
  3. After knowing your work for the week, go to Temas in your virtual classroom. There, you will have access to the study material (theory and practice) from the unit you need to study throughout the week.
  4. Start by reading the Key ideas of each unit, there you will find the specific study material and it will help you understand the most important points of the unit. Afterwards, check out the sections Specially Recommended and More Information where you will find more resources in order to deepen on the topic of the unit.
  5. Devote some time to the practical cases and tasks in the subject (assignments and test). Remember that in your weekly program you find all the information related to the schedule for each assignment and the maximum grade you can obtain in each of them.
  6. We strongly recommend you to participate in the Events of the course (online classes, forums...). To know the precise schedule of the events, you need to check the communications tools in the virtual platform. Your teacher and tutor will inform you on the updates of the course.

In the virtual classroom of Lo que necesitas saber antes de empezar (All you need to know before starting) you will always find available information on the structure of the units and information on their sections

Remember that in Lo que necesitas saber antes de empezar (All you need to know before starting) you can check how the different tools of the virtual classroom work: email, forum, online classes, sending the tasks, etc.

Please, take into account the following tips…

  • Whatever you study plan is, go often to the virtual classroom so that you are always up to date about the course and you are in contact with your teacher and your tutor.
  • Remember you are not alone: send an email to your tutor if you have any doubt. If you attend the online classes, you can also ask your teacher about the contents of the unit. Also, you can always write your doubts and questions about the contents in the Forum of each subject (Ask the teacher).
  • Be active and participate! Whenever it is possible, attend the online classes and take part in the forums. The exchange of information, opinions, ideas and resources enrich us and the course.
  • And, remember, you are studying online: your effort and perseverance are the key element to obtain good results. Don’t leave everything to the last minute!!!