Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Self Evaluation for Wiki Project
For the Wiki project, I worked in collaboration with Richard and Harris. Our topic was to define and evaluate the concept of inter and intracultural CMC. We started out by defining CMC as “Computer Mediated Communication.” After that, we made the distinction between asynchronous and synchronous CMC, the former allowing only delayed responses and the latter allowing for immediate response. Furthermore, we divided CMC into intracultural, meaning CMC that takes place between students of the same culture (i.e. American students learning French or French students learning English) and intercultural, where it is probably a question of native and non-native speakers interacting. Furthermore, we then talked about how CMC can cultivate each of the four components of language learning: reading, listening, speaking and writing. It was established that the domain in which CMC seems to facilitate the most improvement is writing. Such activities as e-mail exchanges and chats have gone far in improving writing skills. Speaking, while not as much as writing, can also be improved thanks to CMC. Now, students can chat live verbally with native speakers through CMC. However, reading and listening aren’t as developed when it comes to these programs. But listening can be improved through the verbal chat sessions with native speaker. Afterwards, we showed how CMC ties in to the five C’s (Culture, Communication, Comparisons, Connections, and Communities) in such ways as encouraging communication between other cultures and connecting with other disciplines. Finally, some different asynchronous and synchrous applications were listed, such as e-mail, chat, blogs, wikis, etc.
During this project, I helped to make the outline of how we wanted our project to be structured. I also helped with defining the concept of CMC, differentiating between asynchronous and synchronous, and stating how CMC activities could be tied into the four components of foreign language learning. I also made comments on the other group’s blog (on 4/19 and 4/25) in order to provide them some feedback as well. I proposed the outline on our own on 2/28 and provided my feedback on 4/11. As far as my grade, I feel that my contributions to the project were adequate, but certainly could have been much more involved. Specifically, I feel like I could have done more with editing. It did some at the beginning, but not much towards the end.
For the Wiki project, I worked in collaboration with Richard and Harris. Our topic was to define and evaluate the concept of inter and intracultural CMC. We started out by defining CMC as “Computer Mediated Communication.” After that, we made the distinction between asynchronous and synchronous CMC, the former allowing only delayed responses and the latter allowing for immediate response. Furthermore, we divided CMC into intracultural, meaning CMC that takes place between students of the same culture (i.e. American students learning French or French students learning English) and intercultural, where it is probably a question of native and non-native speakers interacting. Furthermore, we then talked about how CMC can cultivate each of the four components of language learning: reading, listening, speaking and writing. It was established that the domain in which CMC seems to facilitate the most improvement is writing. Such activities as e-mail exchanges and chats have gone far in improving writing skills. Speaking, while not as much as writing, can also be improved thanks to CMC. Now, students can chat live verbally with native speakers through CMC. However, reading and listening aren’t as developed when it comes to these programs. But listening can be improved through the verbal chat sessions with native speaker. Afterwards, we showed how CMC ties in to the five C’s (Culture, Communication, Comparisons, Connections, and Communities) in such ways as encouraging communication between other cultures and connecting with other disciplines. Finally, some different asynchronous and synchrous applications were listed, such as e-mail, chat, blogs, wikis, etc.
During this project, I helped to make the outline of how we wanted our project to be structured. I also helped with defining the concept of CMC, differentiating between asynchronous and synchronous, and stating how CMC activities could be tied into the four components of foreign language learning. I also made comments on the other group’s blog (on 4/19 and 4/25) in order to provide them some feedback as well. I proposed the outline on our own on 2/28 and provided my feedback on 4/11. As far as my grade, I feel that my contributions to the project were adequate, but certainly could have been much more involved. Specifically, I feel like I could have done more with editing. It did some at the beginning, but not much towards the end.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
MOOs, Virtual Reality, and Second Life
I must admit I have always had a curious fascination with virtual reality ever since I was young. Don't get me wrong, I was no computer geek, but the idea of being able to simulate a real experience has a certain appeal. It reminds me of the credit card commerical where the family takes a virtual trip to Switzerland. That being said, I am wondering if there is another side to such programs as virtual reality, MOOs, and second life. While the have their positive aspects, I don't like the idea of removing the human element. I know that second life does indeed provide the opportunity to "interact" with others, but it is never face-to-face. "Real" human interaction can never be fully simulated, because people act differently behind the protection of an avatar. An anonymous person can take an identity he or she wants. Furthermore, I am just not sure I can see MOOs or second life's for that matter relevance to FL teaching. Maybe I am missing something?
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Teaching with Technology Statement
Teaching Philosophy Statement
Teaching is, in my opinion, the most important profession out there. It is true that doctors save lives, police officers protect our well-being, and scientists find new ways to understand the word around us. However, it is teachers who cultivate the desire to save lives, the willingness to protect, and the determination to understand our world. In short, the ultimate role of a teacher is to mold, inspire and impart the knowledge that is needed to contribute to humanity’s advancement. Indeed, there are those who say that those who can’t do teach. But without those who teach, no one would be able to do anything.
As a teacher of a foreign language, my responsibility is especially great. With the advent of new media that reduce travel to another culture to a matter of seconds, knowledge of a foreign language is not only helpful, but it is also essential. In effect, many jobs are requiring their applicants to know a foreign language. Thus, first and foremost, my role as a foreign language teacher is to provide this necessary skill to my students. However, teaching goes beyond the simple communication of knowledge. It is also about inspiration and the cultivation of passion. I want my students to love French and the francophone culture. I would like to impart upon them a desire to use the French language way beyond their high school careers. In order to reach this goal; however, I plan to encourage more oral production from my students inside of the classroom. While all 4 aspects of language learning are important, oral communication is the most real. If students are encouraged to speak themselves on a regular basis, they can experience what native speakers of a language experience every day. Speaking fosters the ability to exchange cultural information more freely since it is synchronous and spontaneous in nature.
Technology can be an invaluable tool in order to provide a quality foreign language education to FL students. Such CMC methods as IM, chat, e-mail, key pals, blogging, etc. have given invaluable opportunities to students not only to interact with each other and native speakers, but also to improve linguistic competence and negotiation of meaning. Many studies have proved that such CMC media as chat, blogging, etc. have done very well to improve reading and writing skills. Students also gain confidence and a rewarding experience while performing these activities. However, I have a different goal in mind is utilizing CMC. In my classroom, I aim to use CMC in order to hone and, ideally, perfect speaking skills. Oral communication is still where CMC programs are lacking, but they are catching up. Specifically, I wish to implement a live chat program in my FL classroom in which students will be able to converse with native speakers. This chat will not be through IM, but rather through a live web-cam. Live chat programs provide instant feedback on such things as negotiation of meaning, syntax, and semantics from those who know the best, native speakers. Students will also find this practice very rewarding, as conversing successfully with a native speaker provides a sense of validation that no written passage or composition could ever provide. I realize that, in order to be able to have such a program at mu disposal, many practical elements will have to come true. I will have to work in a school that has the financial means and the willingness to pay for this program. Also, I will have to find a “sister school” in France that will agree to chat with my students and vice-versa.
Despite these potential obstacles, I believe that live chat is an excellent CMC program which embodies the broader goal of language learning: Oral communication and cultural competence. It is the closest method to the real act of traveling to the target country. In other words, it simulates the real thing most precisely. That is not to say, however, that reading, writing, etc. will be ignored. But I believe that focusing on oral communication will best equip students to enter into the realm of a foreign language and culture. After all, the most natural and most common human communication is through our mouths, not through our keyboards.
Teaching is, in my opinion, the most important profession out there. It is true that doctors save lives, police officers protect our well-being, and scientists find new ways to understand the word around us. However, it is teachers who cultivate the desire to save lives, the willingness to protect, and the determination to understand our world. In short, the ultimate role of a teacher is to mold, inspire and impart the knowledge that is needed to contribute to humanity’s advancement. Indeed, there are those who say that those who can’t do teach. But without those who teach, no one would be able to do anything.
As a teacher of a foreign language, my responsibility is especially great. With the advent of new media that reduce travel to another culture to a matter of seconds, knowledge of a foreign language is not only helpful, but it is also essential. In effect, many jobs are requiring their applicants to know a foreign language. Thus, first and foremost, my role as a foreign language teacher is to provide this necessary skill to my students. However, teaching goes beyond the simple communication of knowledge. It is also about inspiration and the cultivation of passion. I want my students to love French and the francophone culture. I would like to impart upon them a desire to use the French language way beyond their high school careers. In order to reach this goal; however, I plan to encourage more oral production from my students inside of the classroom. While all 4 aspects of language learning are important, oral communication is the most real. If students are encouraged to speak themselves on a regular basis, they can experience what native speakers of a language experience every day. Speaking fosters the ability to exchange cultural information more freely since it is synchronous and spontaneous in nature.
Technology can be an invaluable tool in order to provide a quality foreign language education to FL students. Such CMC methods as IM, chat, e-mail, key pals, blogging, etc. have given invaluable opportunities to students not only to interact with each other and native speakers, but also to improve linguistic competence and negotiation of meaning. Many studies have proved that such CMC media as chat, blogging, etc. have done very well to improve reading and writing skills. Students also gain confidence and a rewarding experience while performing these activities. However, I have a different goal in mind is utilizing CMC. In my classroom, I aim to use CMC in order to hone and, ideally, perfect speaking skills. Oral communication is still where CMC programs are lacking, but they are catching up. Specifically, I wish to implement a live chat program in my FL classroom in which students will be able to converse with native speakers. This chat will not be through IM, but rather through a live web-cam. Live chat programs provide instant feedback on such things as negotiation of meaning, syntax, and semantics from those who know the best, native speakers. Students will also find this practice very rewarding, as conversing successfully with a native speaker provides a sense of validation that no written passage or composition could ever provide. I realize that, in order to be able to have such a program at mu disposal, many practical elements will have to come true. I will have to work in a school that has the financial means and the willingness to pay for this program. Also, I will have to find a “sister school” in France that will agree to chat with my students and vice-versa.
Despite these potential obstacles, I believe that live chat is an excellent CMC program which embodies the broader goal of language learning: Oral communication and cultural competence. It is the closest method to the real act of traveling to the target country. In other words, it simulates the real thing most precisely. That is not to say, however, that reading, writing, etc. will be ignored. But I believe that focusing on oral communication will best equip students to enter into the realm of a foreign language and culture. After all, the most natural and most common human communication is through our mouths, not through our keyboards.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
I has been well documented that many CMC programs, such as IM and key pals, go a long way in improving two of the four skills in FL learning. Indeed, many studies have shown that a student's reading and writing skills have improved dramatically thanks to such programs. However, I would like to know what sort of programs in the future could deal with speaking and listening. This must, in my opinion, be a top priority among researchers. I like the idea of having some students chat with other native speakers in the target language. But I also believe that other programs devoted to speaking should be created. The skill that has really be neglected is listening...This is, in my opinion, the most difficult skill to treat via CMC. I wonder what kinds of programs could be created for listening?
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Social Software
I believe that, overall, social software is a positive addition to FL learning and to society as a whole. It allows people to communicate in ways that would have been thought impossible even ten years ago. From a purely linguistic point of view, social software permits students to perform collaborative tasks using the target language. These activities teach such values as working to together, as well as the negotiation of meaning. However, one must make sure that these programs are pedagogically sound...They must be educationally relevent in order to be effective.
Moreover, I believe that there is an underlying issue with social software...the "social" indicates we are interacting with other people. We must be wary of what others can see and do with info. we post on these media. Such programs like Facebooks, MySpace, etc. are wonderful for interacting with those we care about...They are, however, ideal for those with not so noble intentions. In other words, never post anything you wouldn't tell a total stranger in the street.
Moreover, I believe that there is an underlying issue with social software...the "social" indicates we are interacting with other people. We must be wary of what others can see and do with info. we post on these media. Such programs like Facebooks, MySpace, etc. are wonderful for interacting with those we care about...They are, however, ideal for those with not so noble intentions. In other words, never post anything you wouldn't tell a total stranger in the street.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)