The one idea that I can't get out of my head about this assignment is that I truly think online virtual worlds could work in the foreign language classroom, but that I'm not sure Second Life is the proper one. Throughout my avatar's "journeys," I encountered a lot of interesting things. A lot if it, however, would probably be quite inappropriate for high school users. I "teleported" to a French-speaking area in the game, and the other users were saying a lot of inappropriate things (granted, in the target language). The fact that teachers can't control the content that students would potentially be exposed to is a major concern of mine. The idea of a Teen version of Second Life would be an excellent tool. Having a controlled environment for teenagers would make it a more acceptable resource for use in high school foreign language classrooms.
In general, however, I really think using virtual worlds could be an excellent innovation for foreign language teaching. This could solve problems of limitations when it comes to having access to native speakers of a target language. For example, a Spanish teacher who teaches Spanish in an area where this language is not very commonly used might have a hard time gaining access to a native speaker or native speakers with whom the students could converse. Making use of virtual worlds, this teacher could connect with a native speaker of Spanish anywhere around the world as long as he or she is using the same program that houses the virtual world. Also, to a certain degree, these environments allow for some type of authentic communication to occur. Students may not necessarily be speaking aloud, but they are speaking in real time to another speaker of the target language and are forced to think on their feet just as they would in a real, in-person conversation. Virtual worlds are also useful for recreating real-world situations that would be hard to recreate in the classroom, in an attempt to make experiences as authentic as possible for the foreign language learner.
Overall, I think virtual worlds could be very useful in the foreign languge classroom. I'm not sure that Second Life has enough restrictions to be used in a high school setting, but surely there must be something similar that teachers can use. I think nothing beats authentic, in-person interactions when it comes to learning a new language and practicing it, but this is certainly something to look into.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Listerv postings
The following are my two postings on the FLTEACH listserv:
Hi Josh,
I can sympathize with you. I know it can be difficult at times to think of how first year foreign language students in high school can be encouraged to use solely the target language. I can tell you from first-hand experience that it is possible! In one of my college courses, a retired instructor came to give a presentation to my class Secondary Foreign Language Teaching Methods class. At one point, he began speaking in German (and only in German). Most of had had little to no familiarity with the language, but we all completely understood his message because he made is comprehensible to us. He used familiar gestures, drew pictures on the board, and wrote some things down all while giving us his life story in the L2. So, when considering your Spanish 1 students, just remember the importance of comprehensible input. If you make it understandable to them using some suggestioned I just mentioned, they will have a blast and be amazed at how much they can understand. :)
Best of luck,
Michael Lewis
---
Bonjour Rebecca,
Thanks for sharing this information! The French culture has such deeply rooted etiquette rules and traditions, and because of this, as you mentioned, it is a great idea to set up some sort of social gathering to expose students to this sort of thing. The Web sites you provided are excellent examples of this. In my high school (when I was a student), my teacher would organize a "progressive dinner" each year. We would choose 3 students' houses, and the entire French club would meet at each one, the first house being for the appetizers, the second for the entrée, and the third for dessert. It's a great opportunity to showcase French food and to expose students to French table manners. To what you said I would only add that it is also a great chance for students to practice particular "language chunks" such as "may I have..." or "I would like..." and other dining-related phrases.
Merci !
Michael Lewis
Hi Josh,
I can sympathize with you. I know it can be difficult at times to think of how first year foreign language students in high school can be encouraged to use solely the target language. I can tell you from first-hand experience that it is possible! In one of my college courses, a retired instructor came to give a presentation to my class Secondary Foreign Language Teaching Methods class. At one point, he began speaking in German (and only in German). Most of had had little to no familiarity with the language, but we all completely understood his message because he made is comprehensible to us. He used familiar gestures, drew pictures on the board, and wrote some things down all while giving us his life story in the L2. So, when considering your Spanish 1 students, just remember the importance of comprehensible input. If you make it understandable to them using some suggestioned I just mentioned, they will have a blast and be amazed at how much they can understand. :)
Best of luck,
Michael Lewis
---
Bonjour Rebecca,
Thanks for sharing this information! The French culture has such deeply rooted etiquette rules and traditions, and because of this, as you mentioned, it is a great idea to set up some sort of social gathering to expose students to this sort of thing. The Web sites you provided are excellent examples of this. In my high school (when I was a student), my teacher would organize a "progressive dinner" each year. We would choose 3 students' houses, and the entire French club would meet at each one, the first house being for the appetizers, the second for the entrée, and the third for dessert. It's a great opportunity to showcase French food and to expose students to French table manners. To what you said I would only add that it is also a great chance for students to practice particular "language chunks" such as "may I have..." or "I would like..." and other dining-related phrases.
Merci !
Michael Lewis
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Chapter 4 Reflection
For this assignment I will review chapter four of Robert J. Blake's book.
In this chapter, Blake discusses CMC, or computer-mediated communication. Initially, he defines it and gives a few examples. He continues by outlining first generation and second generation computer-mediated communication methods. Some of the first generation tools are still used, but perhaps not as frequently. E-mail is definitely still in use, and is especially useful when two participants in an online discussion don't use the same chat service. They can e-mail each other and engage in asynchronous CMC. Threaded forums are also in use still. I don't know how effective they are for carrying out conversation, but I know of several instances where they are useful, specifically for foreign language learning. A lot of people who learn foreign languages in college nowadays probably know about wordreference.com. This site provides an excellent forum environment in which learners of a particular language can seek advice from native speakers on issues of grammar and speaking, etc. Blake also mentions electronic mailing lists. Even though we are using them for this class, I don't think they are really used that frequently. I can't say that with certainty, but I don't really know anyone who uses them. I have found, however, that they can be very efficient for seeing what other educators think about a given topic; you can even join the chat if you so choose.
Blake turns next to second generation CMC tools. This was the most interesting part of the chapter for me because these are tools that we use today. Blogs and wikis are two good examples that are mentioned by Blake. They are both examples of asynchronous CMC that are in use to this day. Blogs are especially useful for situations in which someone makes a post and can receive feedback from other users. I see solid, practical applications for such a thing in foreign language classrooms. Students can post assignments online and review feedback from the instructor and other students right away, all in the target language. Wikis are obviously very useful, as well, because they allow for collaboration. Blake also talks about chatting, or instant messaging, later on in the chapter. This would be an example of synchronous CMC. Chatting with or without audio can be extremely useful in the foreign language classroom. Teachers could provide instantaneous feedback to what students are writing or saying, without having to be in the classroom. Teachers could also use this as an opportunity to model correct speech and writing.
Overall, this chapter has provided a lot of information about computer-mediated communication and how it can be used in foreign language classrooms. I find that blogs, wikis and chatting would fit my classroom best.
In this chapter, Blake discusses CMC, or computer-mediated communication. Initially, he defines it and gives a few examples. He continues by outlining first generation and second generation computer-mediated communication methods. Some of the first generation tools are still used, but perhaps not as frequently. E-mail is definitely still in use, and is especially useful when two participants in an online discussion don't use the same chat service. They can e-mail each other and engage in asynchronous CMC. Threaded forums are also in use still. I don't know how effective they are for carrying out conversation, but I know of several instances where they are useful, specifically for foreign language learning. A lot of people who learn foreign languages in college nowadays probably know about wordreference.com. This site provides an excellent forum environment in which learners of a particular language can seek advice from native speakers on issues of grammar and speaking, etc. Blake also mentions electronic mailing lists. Even though we are using them for this class, I don't think they are really used that frequently. I can't say that with certainty, but I don't really know anyone who uses them. I have found, however, that they can be very efficient for seeing what other educators think about a given topic; you can even join the chat if you so choose.
Blake turns next to second generation CMC tools. This was the most interesting part of the chapter for me because these are tools that we use today. Blogs and wikis are two good examples that are mentioned by Blake. They are both examples of asynchronous CMC that are in use to this day. Blogs are especially useful for situations in which someone makes a post and can receive feedback from other users. I see solid, practical applications for such a thing in foreign language classrooms. Students can post assignments online and review feedback from the instructor and other students right away, all in the target language. Wikis are obviously very useful, as well, because they allow for collaboration. Blake also talks about chatting, or instant messaging, later on in the chapter. This would be an example of synchronous CMC. Chatting with or without audio can be extremely useful in the foreign language classroom. Teachers could provide instantaneous feedback to what students are writing or saying, without having to be in the classroom. Teachers could also use this as an opportunity to model correct speech and writing.
Overall, this chapter has provided a lot of information about computer-mediated communication and how it can be used in foreign language classrooms. I find that blogs, wikis and chatting would fit my classroom best.
References:
Blake, R.J. (2008). Brave new digital classroom: Technology and foreign language learning. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Web site review: Power to Learn
For this assignment, I will be reviewing the following Web site: http://www.powertolearn.com/articles/teaching_with_technology/index.shtml.
I found this site to be very useful! I like the fact that it has an archive of articles that one can browse. It's easy to find topics that are interesting or relevant to what we are teaching or topics that include technology we might be interested in using in our classrooms. I found a number of articles right away that I started reading. I found myself bookmarked them for future reference. It seems that they are published somewhat frequently, as well.
There are also a number of other resources on this Web site that are useful, such as the "technology resources" page which provides information about various Web sites and software that might be of use to us as teachers.There is also a very good software review page on this Web site.
My favorite part though, are the lesson activities. If you click on that link, you can find lesson activities specifically for World Language classes, and each one enumerates the technology and materials needed for the activity.
Overall I find this site very useful. I will definitely be bookmarking it!
I found this site to be very useful! I like the fact that it has an archive of articles that one can browse. It's easy to find topics that are interesting or relevant to what we are teaching or topics that include technology we might be interested in using in our classrooms. I found a number of articles right away that I started reading. I found myself bookmarked them for future reference. It seems that they are published somewhat frequently, as well.
There are also a number of other resources on this Web site that are useful, such as the "technology resources" page which provides information about various Web sites and software that might be of use to us as teachers.There is also a very good software review page on this Web site.
My favorite part though, are the lesson activities. If you click on that link, you can find lesson activities specifically for World Language classes, and each one enumerates the technology and materials needed for the activity.
Overall I find this site very useful. I will definitely be bookmarking it!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Chapter 3 Reflection
Chapter three of Robert J. Brake's book, Brave New Digital Classroom: Technology and Foreign Language Learning, discusses the history of CALL, or computer-assisted language learning, and a overview of its evaluation.
First, I really appreciated Blake's reference to Skinnerian behaviorism. I enjoyed these topics in previous psychology and education classes and using this reference really helps me understand the beginning and evolution of CALL. In the 1960s, as Blake explains, a time when technology was limited, foreign language learning and the use of technology consisted of using programs to train or condition students to produce correct responses to particular stimuli. In plain terms, this means that students were trained to memorize appropriate expressions that they would be able to use when confronted with native speakers in authentic situations. I'm happy to report that, based on my own observations, language learning has come a long way since then. I feel that we now take a more thematic approach and try to foster a community of learners. In other words, we try to approach language learning in a more logical way, rather than simply having students perform drill activities and memorization acivities. We also want students to interact with each other and to create situations that come as close as possible to authentic situations with native speakers. One particular idea that I took from this chapter is that there are so many ways to integrate technology into these concepts, ways which I outline in my reflection on the second chapter.
Another section of this chapter that I found interesting was Blake's section on CALL evaluation. I particularly liked the where he cites the format for evaluation in the CALICO Journal: technical preview, operational description, teacher fit and learner fit. The former two seem obvious, of course, but the latter we might take for granted. It is important to ensure that whatever technology or software we use in our classrooms fit the teacher's methodological approach and that it matches the students' needs and interests. If the technology is something that will not develop student motivation and interest, then it may not be the best fit for that particular classroom.
Overall I found the chapter very useful because it explain not only how to review software and other technology for our classrooms, but it also gave some examples and cited some resources, making doing so much easier.
First, I really appreciated Blake's reference to Skinnerian behaviorism. I enjoyed these topics in previous psychology and education classes and using this reference really helps me understand the beginning and evolution of CALL. In the 1960s, as Blake explains, a time when technology was limited, foreign language learning and the use of technology consisted of using programs to train or condition students to produce correct responses to particular stimuli. In plain terms, this means that students were trained to memorize appropriate expressions that they would be able to use when confronted with native speakers in authentic situations. I'm happy to report that, based on my own observations, language learning has come a long way since then. I feel that we now take a more thematic approach and try to foster a community of learners. In other words, we try to approach language learning in a more logical way, rather than simply having students perform drill activities and memorization acivities. We also want students to interact with each other and to create situations that come as close as possible to authentic situations with native speakers. One particular idea that I took from this chapter is that there are so many ways to integrate technology into these concepts, ways which I outline in my reflection on the second chapter.
Another section of this chapter that I found interesting was Blake's section on CALL evaluation. I particularly liked the where he cites the format for evaluation in the CALICO Journal: technical preview, operational description, teacher fit and learner fit. The former two seem obvious, of course, but the latter we might take for granted. It is important to ensure that whatever technology or software we use in our classrooms fit the teacher's methodological approach and that it matches the students' needs and interests. If the technology is something that will not develop student motivation and interest, then it may not be the best fit for that particular classroom.
Overall I found the chapter very useful because it explain not only how to review software and other technology for our classrooms, but it also gave some examples and cited some resources, making doing so much easier.
References:
Blake, R.J. (2008). Brave new digital classroom: Technology and foreign language learning. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Web site review: Langwitches
http://langwitches.org/index.htm
Langwitches is a very interesting Web site and resource for teachers of foreign languages as well as ESOL teachers.
In terms of its style and design, the Web site is fairly well designed with a simple navigation interface. Links at the top of the page bring us to pages on "projects & ideas," "links," "software," "tutorials," "standards" and "workshops." I did find some inconsistencies in the links, however. For example, after clicking on "projects & ideas," some of the items are marked as "coming soon..." (e.g., "iPod") despite the fact that they are readily accessible in the menu on the right-hand side of the page. I only mention this because it can lead to confusion and potentially missing out on information that is actually available on the site.
Apart from the stylistic aspects, langwitches.org is actually a useful resource for teachers. I find the "projects & ideas" and "links" sections to be the most helpful to me. The site outlines and defines a number of technological tools and Web-based activities that teachers can make use of in the foreign language or ESOL classroom such as blogging, podcasting, webquests, distance learning, using digital images/videos and much more. I like the idea of having a link in each section directing us to a site that lists which NETS standards each of these tools addresses, like on the blogging page, but unfortunately the link to most of them is broken, showing a "page not found" message. The "software" section shows a small number of tools that can be used and provides an active link for some of them. I also very much like the "standards" page because it is convenient to have technology standards handy in one place like this. A couple of workshops are also posted in the "workshops" section, but they have not been updated recently and there have not been any recent ones as far as I can tell.
Overall, I feel that langwitches.org has the potential to be a great resource for teachers if the inconsistencies are fixed and if the site is kept up-to-date. On the other hand, a link is posted on the site for the Langwitches blog which appears to be updated regularly. I look forward to reading the blog!
Langwitches is a very interesting Web site and resource for teachers of foreign languages as well as ESOL teachers.
In terms of its style and design, the Web site is fairly well designed with a simple navigation interface. Links at the top of the page bring us to pages on "projects & ideas," "links," "software," "tutorials," "standards" and "workshops." I did find some inconsistencies in the links, however. For example, after clicking on "projects & ideas," some of the items are marked as "coming soon..." (e.g., "iPod") despite the fact that they are readily accessible in the menu on the right-hand side of the page. I only mention this because it can lead to confusion and potentially missing out on information that is actually available on the site.
Apart from the stylistic aspects, langwitches.org is actually a useful resource for teachers. I find the "projects & ideas" and "links" sections to be the most helpful to me. The site outlines and defines a number of technological tools and Web-based activities that teachers can make use of in the foreign language or ESOL classroom such as blogging, podcasting, webquests, distance learning, using digital images/videos and much more. I like the idea of having a link in each section directing us to a site that lists which NETS standards each of these tools addresses, like on the blogging page, but unfortunately the link to most of them is broken, showing a "page not found" message. The "software" section shows a small number of tools that can be used and provides an active link for some of them. I also very much like the "standards" page because it is convenient to have technology standards handy in one place like this. A couple of workshops are also posted in the "workshops" section, but they have not been updated recently and there have not been any recent ones as far as I can tell.
Overall, I feel that langwitches.org has the potential to be a great resource for teachers if the inconsistencies are fixed and if the site is kept up-to-date. On the other hand, a link is posted on the site for the Langwitches blog which appears to be updated regularly. I look forward to reading the blog!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Wiki links
Hi everyone,
Below are the links to my group's wiki page as well as to my own individual page.
Group:
Individual:
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