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Wednesday, 9 July 2014

BTLPT and LOTE Spanish Scores

BTLPT and LOTE Spanish Scores Release Date

You are probably wondering when you will get your score from the LOTE or BTLPT Spanish exam.  The scores will be released August 4, 2014.  You will be able to view your score report by logging on to your ETS account.  As a reminder, 300 is a perfect score, and you need 240 to pass.

#BTLPTscore #BTLPTscores #BTLPTSpanishscore #BTLPTSpanishscores #LOTEscore #LOTEscores #LOTESpanishScore #LOTESpanishScores

Monday, 7 July 2014

Free LOTE Spanish Exam Tips



Free Tips to Pass the LOTE Spanish Exam

*Since the BTLPT and LOTE Spanish exams have a lot in common, these LOTE tips are similar to the BTLPT tips.

  • Be prepared for a lot of distractions at the testing center.  You will have headphones, but you will likely be able to hear other test takers during their speaking sections.  Mentally prepare yourself to block out distractions.
  • Think fast.  For many people, the listening section on the LOTE Spanish exam happens fast and there is not much "think" time to respond.
  • Get used to listening to and understanding Spanish from different parts of the world (Caribbean, South America, Mexico, Central America, and Spain).   On the LOTE Spanish exam, you will hear different accents.
  •  Use the correct register for the writing and speaking sections.  When speaking to adults, you should almost always use the "usted" form.  If you are speaking to close friends or family, you can use the "tú" form even if they are adults.  When speaking to children, close friends, and family, use the "tú" form.
  • Use "proper" or "standard" Spanish.  Avoid slang words, and be sure to not use English words.  If you cannot think of the word in Spanish, think of another way to express the idea in Spanish.
  • Always put accent marks where they belong.  Learn the rules on where to put accent marks.  Do a "Google" search to learn more about the accent mark rules.
  •  For the written expression section, pace yourself so you will be able to plan, write, and proofread all three of the tasks.  You have 50 minutes to write the response to a letter, email, or memo, the opinion/position essay, and the integrated writing skills task.  These tasks must be written in Spanish.  As previously mentioned, be sure to use proper Spanish, accent marks, and the correct register.
  • For the instructional practices writing section, pace yourself so you have time to plan, write, and proofread both of the tasks.  You have 35 minutes to write the lesson plan and the essay.  Both of these must be written in English.  Use "standard" English, and check for spelling errors.
  •  If you are not confident in all areas of Spanish (listening, speaking, writing, and reading), I recommend you buy the Barron's AP Spanish Guide. 
  •  I am also available by appointment for tutoring for the LOTE or BTLPT Spanish exams.  Email me at courtneyschonefeld@hotmail.com
#LOTESpanishTips #FreeLOTESpanishTips #TipstoPassSpanishLOTE

Friday, 4 July 2014

LOTE and BTLPT Spanish- Good Luck!

The BTLPT and LOTE Spanish exams start this Saturday, July 5.  Good luck to everyone taking the exams!  Email me with any last minute questions at courtneyschonefeld@hotmail.com

Friday, 27 June 2014

Free BTLPT Spanish Tips



Free Tips to Pass the BTLPT

  • Be prepared for a lot of distractions at the testing center.  You will have headphones, but you will likely be able to hear other test takers during their speaking sections.  Mentally prepare yourself to block out distractions.
  • Think fast.  For many people, the listening section happens fast and there is not much "think" time to respond.
  • Get used to listening to and understanding Spanish from different parts of the world (Caribbean, South America, Mexico, Central America, and Spain).
  •  Use the correct register for the writing and speaking sections.  When speaking to adults, you should almost always use the "usted" form.  If you are speaking to close friends or family, you can use the "tú" form even if they are adults.  When speaking to children, close friends, and family, use the "tú" form.
  •  Use "proper" or "standard" Spanish.  Avoid slang words, and be sure to not use English words.  If you cannot think of the word in Spanish, think of another way to express the idea in Spanish.
  • Always put accent marks where they belong.  Learn the rules on where to put accent marks.  Do a "Google" search to learn more about the accent mark rules.
  • For the writing section, pace yourself so you have time to plan, write, and proofread all three of the tasks.  You have 70 minutes to write the response to an email, letter, or memo, the lesson plan, and the opinion/position essay.  Always stay on topic!
  •  If you are not confident in all areas of Spanish (listening, speaking, writing, and reading), I recommend you buy the Barron's AP Spanish Guide.
  • I am also available by appointment for tutoring.  Email me at courtneyschonefeld@hotmail.com
#BTLPTTips #BTLPTSpanishTips #FreeBTLPTTips #FreeBTLPTSpanishTips

Wednesday, 25 June 2014

Houston ISD Teaching Jobs and Bilingual Teaching Jobs

Did you know that Houston ISD has 343 teaching positions posted on their website?  Fifty of those jobs are for bilingual teachers.  If you have not yet passed your TExES exam, now is the time!  The starting salary at Houston ISD is over $46,000 annually.  Email me at courtneyschonefeld@hotmail.com for study material tips or tutoring.   I can help you with the Generalist EC-6, Generalist 4-8, Bilingual Education Supplemental, ESL Supplemental, BTLPT, LOTE, PPR, and other exams.

#HISDJobs #HISDTeachingJobs #HISDTeacherJobs #HISDTeacherSalary #HISDBilingualJobs #HoustonISDTeachingJobs #HoustonISDBilingualTeacherJobs

Monday, 23 June 2014

San Antonio Area Teacher Job Fair

There will be a teacher job fair for the San Antonio area on June 26.  Take your resumes and copies of your teaching certificates.  If you are not yet certified, take copies of your passing TExES score and/or your statement of eligibility.





  
San Antonio Area Teacher Job Fair

If you haven't taken your exam yet, now is the time!  Even though most of the job fairs are over, the hiring will continue through the rest of the summer.

If you need tutoring or test tips, email me at courtneyschonefeld@hotmail.com

#SanAntonioTeacherJobFair


Friday, 20 June 2014

Free Tips to Write an Effective Lesson Plan for the LOTE Spanish 613 Exam


Important Tips from ETS (but modified by Texas Teacher Today):
  • Be sure your lesson plan is on topic and that it fully and appropriately addresses the prompt.

  • Your lesson plan must include all the required information (vocabulary your lesson plan will use, materials the lesson will require, a detailed description of the activities and procedures that will be part of the lesson, at least one informal or formal assessment or evaluation of the students' learning).

  • You should write a minimum of 200 words, but I would recommend at least 250 words.



Helpful Tips from Texas Teacher Today:


  •  All lesson plans should be STUDENT-CENTERED or LEARNER-CENTERED.  That means the activities should have the students actively participating.  Education is no longer teacher-centered, where the teacher lectures for long periods of time.  Of course, a short lecture may be necessary, but students should have hands-on activities and the teacher should be the facilitator.
  •   Plan at least three activities in order to address the needs of all types of learners (visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learners).  For visual learners, some pictures, posters, or a video are often effective.  For auditory learners, a catchy song, rhyme, or interesting verbal explanation are useful.  Kinesthetic learners learn by doing, so you need to use manipulatives and hands-on activities.   Some examples of manipulatives are counters to help students learning to add or subtract, or magnetic letters for students to practice spelling.  
  • Always DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION.    This means you plan your instruction and/or evaluation according to the different readiness levels, interests, and needs of students.  You can assign books or worksheets that are different levels of difficulty according to the students' different ability levels.  When assigning projects, you can give students three or four options to choose from.  When assessing students, use different methods to be sure to notice the different strengths of students.  For example, some students may not be confident at oral presentations, but their written speech may be very effective.  Of course, they should still be required to present, but teachers can count their written speech for part of the grade.  If other students are stronger at presenting, the teacher can focus more on that and less on the writing.  Teachers can find ways to help students capitalize on their strengths and work on their weaknesses.
  •  If you don't know yet, you really need to learn where to put accent marks!  Correct spelling is also important.   Incorrect use of accent marks and spelling, or leaving off accent marks, will really cost you points.
  •  You are only required to use one evaluation (formal or informal), but I recommend you include one of each.  If appropriate, explain how you can cater the evaluation to students who are struggling with certain concepts.  Formal assessments include tests, quizzes, and essays.  Informal assessments include projects, oral presentations, reading logs, portfolios, or even the teacher asking students questions and keeping track of their responses.  Both formal and informal assessments are important.  Some students do not perform well under the pressure they feel taking a formal assessment, and an informal assessment may give the teacher more information about what the student actually knows.  For more information, read this article about formal and informal assessments.
  •  Be careful to use your time wisely.  You only have 35 minutes to writ the lesson plan and the opinion/position essay.
  • Proofread your lesson plan and correct any mistakes.


For additional help on accent marks or to learn more about writing a lesson plan, please email me at courtneyschonefeld@hotmail.com to schedule a tutoring session.

#FreeLOTETips #LOTESpanish #LOTESpanishTips #LOTESpanish613 #LOTESpanishWriting #LOTELessonPlan #LOTESpanishLessonPlan #LOTESpanishLessonPlanTips

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