After learning this course, I really gained a lot about various technologies in language teaching and learning. I could recall when I was teaching in the college, I mainly used PowerPoint in class, since the computer in the classroom cannot be connected to the net, I would bring my USB in which I stored some listening practices or videos to use in class. We never ask students to create a blog and write on it as we ourselves had no idea of the blog functioning as a language learning tool.
Actually, from my learning experience here, I could see most of my classmates do not write frequently, and if they did write something, most of which were due to the course requirement. I always hold the opinion that if someone cannot study with interests or passion, he will not master well or succeed. To me, blog may only serve as a writing tool. If I can use blog in teaching, I'd only use it to assist the writing course. Students may write the assigned compositions on the blog and others could peer edit and teachers would comment on them as well.They could as lo share some ideas irrelevant to studying.
Hotpotato is quite useful in designing papers. It will spare a lot of time typing the blanks.
I am very impressed by the teaching approach in primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. They would teach in authentic contexts, which are more vivid and crisp. Maybe the teaching manner in mainland could be adjusted to some extent.
Learn a lot from my classmates in teaching more effectively. Enjoy it.
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Hi there Lara, not having an Internet connection in the classroom seems unthinkable to me these days. I would imagine that many younger students would find it fascinating to be able to publish their own work in the form of a blog, there are many fun things to do besides writing on it. Fish to feed, for instance. Maybe students would view it as a window on the world, where you can get a better look of the outside world and the Netizens can view your world as well. There are some points to watch out for, Alice's posting http://misswongalice.blogspot.com/ and Trinity's posting http://trinitywangyi.blogspot.com/2010/03/new-finding-about-omegle.html indicate that there may well be pitfalls for the unwary. This is seen pretty explicitly with Streaker Foomeister's posting http://thefoomeister.blogspot.com/2010/01/jekyll-and-hyde.html. If you decide to expose your students to the wonderful world of blogging you may need to caution them that there are precautions that need to be taken. A friend in Taipei pointed out that on the Internet anybody can wear a mask. This sometimes has tragic consequences.
ReplyDeleteHowever look on the bright side, there are many opportunities to entice students to write about their interests. There is a lot of potential to get reticent students to take an interest in communicating their ideas with the rest of the world. Try it with your students, cautiously !
Hi, Lara, at least you have the powerpoint and computer access. And I think for blogging the most difficult task for teacher is how to keep students' passion from begining till end.
ReplyDeleteYes, blogging requires bloggers' willingness, passion and interests~ Sometims, without certain requierment, people do not know what to write down in their blogs.
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