Nowadays, webskills are essential for any English teacher and student. I believe they can make a difference when it comes to the integration of skills in the digital era. There is so much to explore and discover! I feel like Alice in Wonderland, eager to explore and discover a brand new land. There are many doors to open and many paths to walk in ten weeks.
I would like to share knowledge and experiences with my partners and tutors by interacting in group discussions and making comments in the blogs. Indeed, the readings and resources will be the essential food for thought and this blog will help me add ideas to be adapted to my local setting in a technology-enhanced project.
In this course, I expect to learn how to use and improve my webskills and reflect on my learning process in this blog. To me, it is a new beginning in this never-ending learning process.
Feel free to make comments and suggestions. They are valuable contributions.
Thank you for this great learning opportunity!
Hello Roxana,
ReplyDeleteI have read your two postings with interest and they look great to me. Thanks for listing my Blog, that´s a great idea. I love the way you compare your adventure into technology with Alice in Wonderland, that´s a perfect analogy. Mine is compared with an Odyssey, maybe because I was a fan of Star Trek :)
I am curious about how you actually used blogging with your students. Do you have a link for your class blog? What kind of content or task did you do? I would love to hear fresh ideas on how other teachers have planned and implemented this web tool. Of course, I know the internet full of teachers´ blogs sharing their ideas but coming from your context and since we both are in this boat, sharing is more productive. For example, we could share lesson plans, although I must admit I just jot down a draft of my “plan” nothing formal. In this regard, I will have to actually write a formal plan, step by step to share with you, I hope so ;)
I have just read an article from David McCoy (http://tinyurl.com/7vtw2ps) on how to get started with student blogs. Among the things he suggests, something that called my attention was the fact that he highlighted the point about the collision between “Digital Natives” and “Digital Immigrants”. How could we, at least, in my case, be better prepared to teach these digital natives? When they probably know more than you do? (you, figuratively speaking). This will be no problem for you Roxana, you are probably a Digital Native, you look pretty young. I any case, you and I know, that this article comes from somebody living in a highly technological country, our context here in South America is completely different. There´s a lot we can do to help raise the bar.
Yes, there are many doors to be opened, like Alice, although I rather be the Caterpillar :D And many more as technology evolve. For example, I am not yet ready to “step into the mirror” of blogging on ipads, cellphones, mini-laps, and other freaky gadgets However, the future looks bright on us since we are part of this course and everything will be all right!!
The word "Digital Natives" also caught my attention when I heard that Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Cooperation mentioned it. S.Korea,one of the biggest providers of smart phones like Samsung or LG bring may apps to relate them totheir learning.But I am not sure that it's effective enough to recommend.
DeleteHi,Roxana!
ReplyDeleteAs Julio mentioned, your analogy was great! Your writing brought me a deep insight of writing journals. Short and concise but straightfoward with rich metaphor. Thanks for sharing ideas and let's stay connected through wondeful learning and sharing opportunities!
Hello Roxana,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your blog.
Undoubtedly web skills are a great tool learn and teach, not only the English language but to enhance our performances as ESL teachers. You are right to say “… this never-ending process,” and I would like to add, with your permission —in my country I tell my students “con vuestra anuencia”— that our reflections on our own learning and teaching process are an everyday task.
When sometimes I had taught in multiple-level classrooms, like those hidden in the mountains, now and then I have to write on the earth floor, as there is neither blackboard nor a white one… High school in the official TV System (telesecundaria), not always work. When I am invited to teach or lecture in hi-tech room, I use to share these experiences with my audience. I remember one day when I had not even a piece of rope to demonstrate π (pi), and I asked one of my students to get a branch from a nearby peach tree. I took the flexible branch and aligned it around a circle we had drafted on the earth floor. It fitted about 3 and 1/7 times. That was enough. After the lessons we ate some delicious sweet peaches. We all laughed and enjoyed the class, and I am sure no one will forget it. Same happens with technology: we may have great tools, but must be prepared when we don’t.
Let’s reflect not only on what wee teach but in how we teach.
With kind regards,
Fernando
Hello Roxana,
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for letting us in. It is interesting for me to know more about blogs.As amatter of fact, I am jus like the poor Alice trying to start her journey.Your blog gave me an idea of what mine should look like.thanks again.
All the best,
Ilham
Hello Ilham, Fernando, Julio and Michelle!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I am very eager to learn how to use digital tools and improve my IT skills.
I´d like to share a link from an experiment I made last year. I used a blog with high school students; here it goes: http://class-englishblogs.blogspot.com/
I used this class blog with a list of my students´blogs so that they could communicate with one another easily.
Thanks again.
Keep in touch,
Roxana