Knowing the different learning abilities of children and the different ways of teaching effectively according to these abilities, in addition to the use of songs and art that motivate them to speak and understand English, were some of the strategies that the attendees learned about. of the 4th International Seminar on English Teaching Expanding Opportunities, which was held with the collaboration of the University of La Serena.

One of the main economic activities of the IV Region is tourism, an area that generates the arrival of nearly 2 million tourists every year, of which 15% are English-speaking foreigners. This is why mastering English is so necessary and its teaching from the earliest years is essential to promote the appreciation of intercultural exchange.

In this context, for the first time in La Serena, the 4th International Expanding Opportunities English Teaching Seminar was held, which was held at the University of La Serena. The activity was a meeting point with teachers, school directors, heads of UTP, supporters, academics and students of pedagogy in English, who learned about innovative and successful teaching experiences to apply both at the classroom and school level. At the meeting, experiences of both teachers and directors were also presented, involving different establishments such as cultural or musical events, which even included the parents themselves.

The activity featured two prominent international speakers who led plenary sessions and four experts who gave educational talks and entertaining workshops. The talk “Effective use of songs in the English class” by Luciana Fernández, learning and reading consultant at National Geographic Learning, kept all attendees attentive and participating. “I hope there are more instances where teachers can get together, learn from others and not feel so alone. “I am very happy to have been part of this event,” said the presenter.

David Crabtree, professor at the University of Westminster in London, was another of the main speakers and shared with attendees some models of inclusive learning and their relationship with good practices in the classroom.

María Escobar, an English teacher at the Cardenal Caro school in Coquimbo, highlighted the level of both talks: “they were a very playful way of giving us knowledge,” she said, highlighting the Foundation's concern for the early teaching of English.

Additionally, poster presentations were carried out on successful experiences of teaching and learning processes of this language, by teachers from different regions of the country. Martina Garay, a teacher from the commune of Coinco, O'Higgins Region, was one of these panelists and she showed the plays that they have performed with her students in the commune. For her, this instance “is incredible and showing what we do in such small communities to other teachers is very motivating.”

In addition to the main presentations, attendees were able to participate in one of the four workshops that were held: “Storytelling”, “English through art”, “Cultural events in English and “Guidelines for the effective management of English at an institutional level”, all of them related to the axes of the seminar.

Fernando Castro is a graduate of Pedagogy in English from the University of La Serena and participated in the workshop “Guidelines for the effective management of English at an institutional level”, one of the most requested of the day and he considered it very good, “because in general "We always show what to do in the classroom, but this workshop sought to motivate management teams to work on English globally."  

Meanwhile, English teacher Katherine Galleguillos from the Abel Inostroza Gutiérrez school in Monte Águila, in the VIII Region, participated in the “English through art” workshop and stated that “I really liked this workshop, a very interesting idea that aims to teach from the littlest ones. The speakers were incredible and really give a boost to the pedagogy.”

During the opening ceremony of the seminar, the Dean(s) of the Faculty of Humanities of the ULS, Mg. Sandra Santander delivered her greetings and thanked her for the opportunity to be present at this important meeting. She also congratulated the alumni of the University of La Serena who currently work at the Foundation, highlighting the collaborative work that has been manifested between the state institution and the organization.

The seminar is organized for the fourth consecutive year by the Oportunidad Educational Foundation, which has been promoting early English teaching for 12 years through its We Learn program in the Elqui Valley. Marcela Marzolo, executive director of the Foundation, explained that “this year we wanted to invite participants to broaden their view in relation to the teaching of English, showing that this is not only the responsibility of the English teacher, but of the entire educational community. , who with very simple strategies can get involved in teaching this language. “It is not enough to have successful teachers, good practices must be installed, for which leaders play a fundamental role.”

Marzolo also highlighted the relationship they have with the ULS, which he considers vitally important because it is the entity that generates professionals who contribute to the fundamental task of the organization. “We have alumni working with our organization and they actively participate in 'We learn', a program that belongs to our Foundation and whose objective is to teach English in public schools,” he said.

The Oportunidad Educational Foundation activity was carried out in conjunction with the University of La Serena, with the collaboration of the British Council and National Geographic Learning and with the participation of Bukku Education, Grupo Educativo Inglesa, Colegio Cervantes and English Arts.

At the meeting, the graduates and students present received a talk related to teaching sexuality in the classroom, given by the Sexual Education Now Foundation.

Around 30 people, including graduates and final-level students of Pedagogy in Biology and Natural Sciences at the ULS, participated in the socialization of the results of the fourth accreditation process of the degree and learned about the main actions that were carried out in the Plan of Improvements 2013-2018, weaknesses and strengths of the present self-study process.

During the day, the actions carried out were emphasized, which have materialized in workshops, talks, practices, among other linking activities.

These socialization sessions have been developed with graduates, students of different career levels and academics and will continue to be held with employers, being a constant among these relevant actors during the month of September. This was stated by the race coordinator, Francisco López.

Sexual Education Workshop

Within the framework of the meeting to socialize the accreditation process, the workshop “The Role of science teachers in Sexual Education” was held, taught by the Sexual Education Now Foundation, through the coordination of the course.

In the activity carried out in the Sustainable Room B1 of the Department of Biology, those present listened attentively about the topic and made known the way of working they carry out in the classroom, making it clear that it is a quite controversial and difficult topic to address, due to to the social prejudices that surround the different concepts established in this topic. The teachers were emphatic in saying that family-educational system coordination is the perfect tandem for emotional and sexual education.

The person in charge of giving the talk, the professor of Biology and Master in History of Science, Fabián García, took a tour of the different areas and dimensions of sexual education and defined key concepts. He also proposed to the present teachers modalities of addressing the issue of sexuality in all age groups, making it clear that to talk about sexuality there is no “perfect” age, but rather that it is present from birth and that it is not It should be ignored, even trying to make it a transversal topic in the classrooms, a situation that still does not occur in Chile.

Source: DEIP Press

Lea and Jana Klausdeinken Bongard learned about the relevance that the director of the La Serena Normal School of Preceptors has for Chilean education and the history of the ULS.

Two of the great-great-granddaughters of Isabel Bongard Cordes, the educator of German origin who was appointed in 1890 to be in charge of the direction of the Normal School of Preceptors of La Serena, recently visited the regional capital and the University of La Serena in order to learn the legacy of the teacher, who printed a seal of progressivism and quality that marked the future history of the establishment.

Lea and Jana Klausdeinken Bongard, accompanied by Katja Drerup and the normal school teachers Jenny Tapia and Cecilia Zúñiga, participated in a breakfast that the state campus offered on the occasion of their visit. At this meeting, the Rector(s) of the ULS, Dr. Jorge Catalán, expressed that it is a pleasure for the university to have received them and that they have been able to learn more about Chile, the city and the University. “It seemed to us that a significant gesture should be to receive these illustrious visits and, in some way, make them notice the gratitude of the University of La Serena and the relevance that the presence of Isabel Bongard has for the house of studies in our city and in our squad. It is closely linked to the history and origins of the ULS,” Dr. Catalán stressed, adding that “the University has always been linked to the training of professors.”

“The visit has been interesting because of the importance of Isabel Bongard. “I am very impressed because she is a woman from our family,” said Jana Klausdeinken Bongard. During their stay in La Serena, the young woman and her sister had the opportunity to tour the premises of the former Normal School of Preceptors, a building that would bear the name of the German educator, as well as the university campus that today houses the historic enclosure.

Regarding this meeting at the ULS, normal teacher Cecilia Zúñiga stated that it made it possible to convey the pride that the Bongard family feels “in having a representative of their family who is so important in the history of education in Chile (…). “They are very happy with the reception.” Furthermore, she explained that this visit took place after a trip that a group of normalistas made to Germany in 2016, where the former students shared with Isabel Bongard's relatives, in the same house where the renowned normalista teacher lived.

At the breakfast held in the premises of the ULS Central House, the head of Admission of the university and normal teacher, Eduardo Rojo, and the director of the Mistralian Center, Dr. Rolando Manzano, were also present.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. Jorge Catalán presented publications about the life and legacy of Isabel Bongard (Editorial Universidad de La Serena) to the descendants of the director of the Normal School of Preceptors and the teachers who accompanied them.

The ULS program sponsored and coordinated the pre-congress courses: “Spirometry in Primary Care: Basic Quality Concepts” and “Basic Ultrasound Feedback for Kinesiologists.”

Within the framework of the XXI National Congress of Kinesiology 2018 that took place on September 5,6, 7, 8 and 300 in the city of La Serena, organized by the College of Kinesiologists of Chile and which brought together more than 2 kinesiologists (as) and Kinesiology students from all over Chile, along with national and international exhibitors in the main areas of specialization in rehabilitation, the Kinesiology major at the University of La Serena sponsored and coordinated 12 pre-congress courses, of the more than XNUMX that the meeting included .

The courses carried out were “Spirometry in Primary Care: Basic Quality Concepts”, taught by kinesiologists Luis Vasconcello and Matías Otto, and “Basic Ultrasound Feedback for Kinesiologists”, taught by kinesiologist Claudia Valenzuela. These pre-congress courses were carried out in the Kinesiology laboratories and had the participation of more than 30 attendees, including professionals and students of the degree. The participants were able to learn the bases of ultrasonography for kinesthetic use, evaluating this innovative tool in kinesthetic rehabilitation. Likewise, they were able to learn about and apply national spirometry protocols as a tool for diagnosis and assessment of lung function.

“As a Kinesiology major at a state higher education institution such as the University of La Serena and considering the relevance of the congress in the professional development of our students and academics, it is of great relevance and impact to participate as sponsors of the congress and support these instances in different ways,” said the Director of the race, Dr. Alfredo Gary.

The collaboration at the congress considered logistical support for students; provision of physical spaces and coordination of pre-congress courses; and coordination of the work day with directors of Kinesiology from the different higher education study houses in the country, with the aim of defining the possible lines to follow in the Kinesiology profession at the national level and establishing basic criteria for the training curriculum undergraduate.

The initiative promoted by the universities of Valparaíso, La Serena and Técnico Federico Santa María, seeks to contribute to the country's challenges from the sciences, incorporating elements of innovation, technology transfer and entrepreneurship.

The Corfo Technological Capabilities Subcommittee approved the application of the project: “Our future, our responsibility: an innovative alliance for the transfer of science and the strengthening of local, national and international development”, presented to the call for the “Science and Innovation” Program by 2030.” This is an associative initiative developed by the Consortium made up of the University of Valparaíso (UV) as mandatory beneficiary, and the University of La Serena (ULS) and the Federico Santa María Technical University (UTFSM) as mandatory beneficiaries.

In an environment of new challenges and demands for technology from productive systems and their disconnection with the national R&D ecosystem, these three regional universities propose working together in a Consortium modality from the different areas of scientific knowledge based in their Faculties or Departments of Sciences, which will allow, in part, to respond to the aforementioned challenge, within the framework of the Science and Innovation project for 2030.

The initiative seeks to contribute to the country's challenges from the sciences, incorporating elements of innovation, technological transfer and entrepreneurship, through processes of curricular transformation, new offerings of undergraduate and graduate programs, with emphasis on multidisciplinary and inter-institutional, the development of national and international strategic alliances and the generation of a relevant management structure, at the same time strengthening the positioning of the Consortium as a reference at the national level and a relevant actor at the international level.

“This is undoubtedly tremendously important news for our Faculty and our University, and one that certainly makes us proud. In effect, it shows the positioning that we have achieved in recent years, with a concrete presence in terms of training and research in basic and applied science. The proposal of this project, which is based on joint work between the three participating universities, is in my opinion one of its main strengths. We always consider, in the formulation process, from the perspective of cooperation, which also responds to the institutional guidelines of our University. In order to materialize the participation of the ULS, both the Faculty of Sciences and the Vice-Rector for Research and Postgraduate Studies have committed financial resources, as have the other two universities. I believe, finally, that with this project we have a great opportunity to contribute to the continuous improvement of our undergraduate and graduate training processes, research and transfer, among other relevant aspects,” said the Dean(s) of the Faculty of ULS Sciences, Dr. Héctor Fabián Reyes.

The project considers a series of joint activities, which will complement the different visions of each institution and facilitate the construction of social capital among the actors of the different universities, which will allow the development of joint research initiatives, associative innovation projects and /or the generation of joint study programs.

The development of this joint Science and Innovation initiative for 2030 aims to consolidate itself as a national reference from the Center - North of the country in scientific knowledge applied to the needs of the productive sector and society.

Science and Innovation for 2030

The purpose of this Program is to support Chilean universities in the process of generating strategic plans or roadmaps, to promote a transformation process in their faculties, in which they teach study programs in the areas of basic sciences and thus allow a their greater participation in technological transfer, innovation and scientific-technological-based entrepreneurship in the country.

Among the presentations selected in the thesis modality and as an oral presentation, two investigations from the Kinesiology degree at the ULS were presented.

From August 9 to 11, at the Universidad Austral in the city of Valdivia, the eighth version of the National Scientific Congress of University Students of Kinesiology “Science and movement, an southern vision” was held, in which a group of students from the Kinesiology degree at the University of La Serena.

The meeting had more than 400 attendees from various universities in the country, who participated in presentations in the categories of thesis or research, clinical cases and experiences, in addition to witnessing keynote talks by renowned guest experts, among which Dr. Rodrigo Motefusco stands out. Siegmund, PhD academic biochemist of the Kinesiology subteam of the Institute of Locomotor System and Rehabilitation UACh and Doctor in Biomedical Sciences, who gave the first master class: “From Molecules to Movement.” In his presentation, the professional took a tour of the cycle that led him to go from research in biochemistry to the study of movement in the area of ​​kinesiology. Furthermore, he urged students to practice science.

Within the presentations selected in the thesis modality and as an oral presentation, two investigations from the Kinesiology degree at the University of La Serena were presented: “Immediate variation in the intensity of muscle activation of the gluteus medius and tibialis anterior, in response to the induction of foot pronation during running”, by Camila Rodríguez Paredes, Joaquín Robledo Medalla, Diego Rojas Orostegui and Tracy Bozo Núñez, and “Immediate changes in the three-dimensional kinematics of the head and neck after the induction of foot pronation in static uni- and bipodal support”, by Abraham Díaz Torres and Belén Vega Fredes. Both theses guided by academic Edwin Contreras Acevedo.

Profitable experience

The students who had the opportunity to participate in this eighth version of the congress highlighted the usefulness of the experience and the support received from the Kinesiology major and the Department of Student Affairs. “We are very grateful for the support of our guiding professor Edwin Contreras Acevedo, as well as the Kinesiology major, both in providing knowledge, experiences and motivation to present our thesis research at such an important conference, which will be a great complement to our vocational training. It is worth mentioning that as a group we are interested in continuing with our research, to continue increasing the possibilities of this experience being repeated in another conference in the future,” said students Camila Rodríguez and Joaquín Robledo.

On the other hand, students Belén Vega and Abraham Díaz indicated: “we are very proud and grateful for the opportunity to make our research known in the southern part of the country and represent both the University of La Serena and the northern area in the National Scientific Congress of University Students of Kinesiology, also thank our disciplinary guide professor, Edwin Contreras, since thanks to his support and motivation to continue with the research, we were able to make ourselves known and do kinesiology on this platform. It is important to highlight that the work as a kinesiologist is expanding to all corners of the health area; Furthermore, it was very enriching to know the point of view of the other professionals who participated in the scientific commission and the different perspectives that showed us the empowerment that a kinesiologist can have.”