Week 4 - Reading and Writing

This week I learned about developing reading and writing skills. I consider the synergic relationship between reading and writing the most important aspect of this reflexion.  One doesn’t exist without the other.

While Liang’s paper has no significant impact in my experience, Krajka points out a very important issue related to writing through the web: one must not lose sight of learning objectives and the effectiveness of technological tools to enhance them.

Reading and writing emails, web pages and class blogs can motivate students and give them a sense of accomplishment because of its authentic and updated content.

Maybe the greatest gift I was given this week was the never-ending list of blogs to feed my Delicious page.

Among them I found:

http://www.21stcenturyschoolteacher.com/cool-websites.html

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/category/lesson-plans/

http://www.thinkfinity.org/

http://www.booksshouldbefree.com

Last but not least, the lesson plan was so demanding. Besides the planning ability I do have to get hold of, I was once again asked to think of students learning style which I consider one of the most important aspects of lesson planning. That’s what really makes us focus our teaching on the students and their needs. Therefore the choice of resources will be objectively driven.

We’re heading to the middle of the course already!  This has been a long and winding road, hasn’t it?  I thank Donna and all of you for the rich sharing and support.

Week 3 - CALL

CALL - Computer Assisted language learning programs are very collaborative and motivational. 

One good thing about using CALL is that students can learn at their own pace using the learning strategies they find more suitable. Also, using CALL might grant the students with the ability to develop autonomous learning skills.  

On the other hand, it is sometimes impossible for the teacher to adapt the content of the softwares to the students' needs.  

It is common sense that computers bring innovation to ESL classes. There are excellent teaching tools to develop the four communicative skills and enhance language acquisition. However, it is still upon the teacher the role of providing innovative and resourceful opportunities enhance students' learning. 

Week 3 - delicious

Wow, I can't believe I had so much trouble with bookmarking!

Believe it or not, I used to keep an email with ELT and ESL websites so that I could access them from any computer.

This week all my problems were solved. I found 'delicious' a great way to store and organize important websites. 

For a very long list and weak memory, it's good that descriptions may be added to the bookmarks. 

Week 2 - Course Project

Start planning the course project helped keep me in fresh mood because now we can start applying what we learn here to how we teach.

The first step into planning this project was a meticulous description of the class. I consider the students motivated and willing to learn. I really hope they'll share my enthusiasm to learn the different ways in which they can learn, so that they eventually become more independent.

Week 2 Searching

In addition to planning our objectives, we were given a gift: NoodleTools. I became acquainted with so many search engines I had never heard of.

 Of course there was no time to check all of them in depth. I chose a few and tried to look for the same kind of information. Although I found iSEEK Education and TWURDY quite consistent, I still think we need to check how dependable the information on the site is or what the credentials of the writer are. Authorship is a major issue in the internet.

Week 2 Planning

This has been a very busy and productive week. Before reading the texts about planning, I would easily say I didn’t feel the need to plan, first because I was never asked to and also because I believed you only needed to plan if you didn’t know what to do.

Well, I couldn’t be farther from the truth. The ABCD objective planning helped me consider one of my major difficulties in teaching which is assessment. I think I’ll be more comfortable choosing how to evaluate students’ learning if I plan in advance what they are expected to produce and at what level of accuracy given a certain condition. It is a must that students know what they’re about learn and produce.

I planned a special lesson using short dialogues from a film to review reported speech. 
It was a change of pace!

Week 1

Our first task was not so hard to accomplish. I was already familiar with creating a blog, although my experience was directed to office work.

I believe the challenge still rests on how to make the blog attractive in design and interesting in content.

There's a strong sense of reponsibility in creating a blog. If originality is not a must, maybe because they carry our signature, blogs are a space for authorship. 

As I reflect on the potential a blog can bring to my teaching practice I envison my students responding or adding to its content. Even creating their own blogs. I think they will be quite concerned about what and how they write because in a certain way the language we use is how we become known.