Week 3 - the internet
Some sample web projects are illustrated in the article which helps students in language learning in different areas. However, it is difficult for me to do it since I have only 2 contact hours with my students every week. During the lessons, what I have to do is to drill them to prepare their assessments. Once you promote them something unrelated to their assessment, they will consider you saying something 'out of syllabus' and they would urge to back on track. They just want to learn something enough to get them through the assessment, and that's it. No more.
Besides the speaking and writing assessments they have in each semester, they need to do an independent language learning portfolio which counts 10% of their module marks. Students need to finish 10 pieces of learning diary and their typical work is newspaper cutting. To diversity their types of work done, what I intend to you is 'sell' them the use of multi-media in their portfolio, for example, watching videos or doing listening exercise online. Hope it works!
Some sample web projects are illustrated in the article which helps students in language learning in different areas. However, it is difficult for me to do it since I have only 2 contact hours with my students every week. During the lessons, what I have to do is to drill them to prepare their assessments. Once you promote them something unrelated to their assessment, they will consider you saying something 'out of syllabus' and they would urge to back on track. They just want to learn something enough to get them through the assessment, and that's it. No more.
Besides the speaking and writing assessments they have in each semester, they need to do an independent language learning portfolio which counts 10% of their module marks. Students need to finish 10 pieces of learning diary and their typical work is newspaper cutting. To diversity their types of work done, what I intend to you is 'sell' them the use of multi-media in their portfolio, for example, watching videos or doing listening exercise online. Hope it works!
Week 2 - evaluation
As a 'magician' in the classroom, we always have to show some new tricks to students. We sometimes fall into a trap - to use it because we want to, not because it is needed or helpful in language teaching and learning. That's why we need to do an evaluation before we actually use it.
I agree on Hubbard's framework for CALL courseware evaluation. We need to more flexible approach which teachers can develop their own evaluation procedures. What works on speaking may not work on writing. Even with the same age group of students, what works on them may not work on my students at all.
Sometimes teachers often think of their own rather than putting ourselves into students' shoes. We tend to pick what we like or we believe our students like. The fact is the 'likeness' doesn't mean it is useful in their learning or our teaching at all. A more integrated approach should be adopted to evaluate the courseware as it is a waste of time and effort if it turns out the courseware is totally not suitable.
As a 'magician' in the classroom, we always have to show some new tricks to students. We sometimes fall into a trap - to use it because we want to, not because it is needed or helpful in language teaching and learning. That's why we need to do an evaluation before we actually use it.
I agree on Hubbard's framework for CALL courseware evaluation. We need to more flexible approach which teachers can develop their own evaluation procedures. What works on speaking may not work on writing. Even with the same age group of students, what works on them may not work on my students at all.
Sometimes teachers often think of their own rather than putting ourselves into students' shoes. We tend to pick what we like or we believe our students like. The fact is the 'likeness' doesn't mean it is useful in their learning or our teaching at all. A more integrated approach should be adopted to evaluate the courseware as it is a waste of time and effort if it turns out the courseware is totally not suitable.
week 1 - computers in language teaching and learning: overview
CALL – overuse & underuse?
CALL is nothing new to language teachers. We are taught to use multimedia computing to motivate our students in language learning. There are different views on CALL of novice and experienced teachers.
I guess most teachers are willing to use multimedia computer and internet in their lessons, and novice teachers especially. They want to show as much as they know to students. Powerpoint is one common kind of 'overexposed' multimedia computing. Teachers use powerpoint in checking answers with students ONLY (rather than a lead-in or any other parts of teaching) .With all those sounds and motions, teachers believe it helps in their teaching. Despite its pedagogical values, students are 'amazed' by what teachers know and by demonstrating these 'IT skills', teachers earn the respect which also narrows the 'gap' (generation gap?) between teachers and students. I know it maybe a bit pathetic to think like this, yet everyone knows it's true.
Unlike novice teachers, for those with years of experience, they tend to believe their talking is the core part in teaching and this is how students are beneficial from it. Any kinds of multi-media or internet are just fancy stuff with no actual value inside. They are reluctant to use any in their teaching.
CALL – overuse & underuse?
CALL is nothing new to language teachers. We are taught to use multimedia computing to motivate our students in language learning. There are different views on CALL of novice and experienced teachers.
I guess most teachers are willing to use multimedia computer and internet in their lessons, and novice teachers especially. They want to show as much as they know to students. Powerpoint is one common kind of 'overexposed' multimedia computing. Teachers use powerpoint in checking answers with students ONLY (rather than a lead-in or any other parts of teaching) .With all those sounds and motions, teachers believe it helps in their teaching. Despite its pedagogical values, students are 'amazed' by what teachers know and by demonstrating these 'IT skills', teachers earn the respect which also narrows the 'gap' (generation gap?) between teachers and students. I know it maybe a bit pathetic to think like this, yet everyone knows it's true.
Unlike novice teachers, for those with years of experience, they tend to believe their talking is the core part in teaching and this is how students are beneficial from it. Any kinds of multi-media or internet are just fancy stuff with no actual value inside. They are reluctant to use any in their teaching.
Sadly, I'm the former
2 comments:
Hi Angel,
Good to see you catching up with the reading. A general comment on using the blog: this would work better if you split these three entries into separate posts. Each post has its own url and can be referenced by other bloggers, especially classmates. Also, people can comment on individual readings not the whole thing. So a general rule might be one point per post.
Sadly, I'm the former
I wasn't sure from your post whether you consider yourself a novice who overuses technology or an experienced teacher who underuses it?
Despite its pedagogical values, students are 'amazed' by what teachers know and by demonstrating these 'IT skills'
I just wondered whether you mean what teachers know in terms of a) subject matter or b) technical expertise? Obvioulsy, at the end of the day, it would be much better if we could get the students to create impressive powerpoints, webpages or eportfolios, which effectively demonstrate how much they know about the subject. In terms of language teaching, artifacts like these would have to be well expressed to demonstrate skill in language. Let me know if you have any other thoughts.
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