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.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Celle-ci est sans aucun doute ma chanson préférée de Daniel Balavoine. Là, il s'agit d'une chanson dans laquelle Balavoine transmet son dégoût pour la souffrance humaine et son éspoir qu'il viendra une meilleure société. C'est une oeuvre très profonde qui va vous faire réfléchir, qui que vous soyez. Écoutez et Réfléchissez!
CMC Activity:
-Project Design: For my CMC based actitvity, I have decided to design a program aimed mainly at French IV students. These students are in the advanced level and are for the most part quite serious about taking French. Therefore, I firmly believe that my students, given their statute in this advanced class, are beyond learning grammar and language for the sake of learning grammar and language. In other words, this group is ready to carry out a project that deals with modern French society and civilization. Thus, I have decided to implement a CMC activity/project that will permit them, not only to use the language in a more content-oriented context, but also to be exposed to various CMC media in order to further facilitate their knowledge of the language. Specifically, the students in the class will first choose a partner to work with. Each group will then be in charge of a certain ‘aspect’ of society from a list that I will provide them. In effect, each group will be able to pick from the following topics: The French system of education, French politics, something from history (i.e. the Revolution), the family, science, art, or religion in France. Students will choose a topic that interests them, such as education, and begin their research project.
Evidently, the ultimate goal of the project is to promote and develop cultural awareness among the students. This project wull also cultivate and facilitate the communcation, culture and comparisions of FL learning. On the whole, the students will gain a better cultural awareness about French society by collaborating on this media. Students will also be able to report on, compare and comment on French society to American society by the end of this project. First off, obviously a group is going to gain cultural awareness on its own research topic. But each group with furthermore gain a cultural awareness of the other groups topics as well, since they are going to make comments about each other’s postings. Moreover, I believe that this project promotes communicative competence in addition to cultural awareness. Indeed, students are forced to use the language in order to communicate thoughts with their partners and with the group as a whole on a variety of complicated topics. This type of collaboration goes far in cultivating negotiation of meaning among the students…They will have to manipulate the language in a way they have never before in order to convey the central messages of their research. Furthermore, the comments themselves give the opportunity to express approval/disapproval and make suggestions, which are essential skills in a language.Finally, students will gain the ability to compare aspect of French society to their own here in America. In short, even thought the main benefit of the project is the sharing of cultural information, negotiation of meaning constitutes a necessary component in order to achieve that goal.
-The project itself consists essentially of several phases. First off, our French class will create a class wiki. A wiki is the CMC medium that is indeed the most ideal for this project, as it allows for collaboration among multiple users who are serious about a certain topic. Once the class wiki is created, the students can then begin their project. Each group will do research on a topic and then post their findings to the wiki in French. They would not be, however, devoid of direction from me. I will expect them not only to report on the presence of their topic in France, but also to compare and contrast its presence in the US. Thus, a group doing politics could explain the similarities and differences between their system of government and ours. Moreover, each group would be required to comment in French on the other group’s postings. Finally, I would expect this project to go on for a period of about one to two weeks, depending on the motivations and abilities of the class. I would consider this as a one-time project and not an on-going one. Even though there is only one true due date, students are expected to make postings and/or comments two or three times a week.
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-Finally, the students will be evaluated according to two criteria: The quality of the research and the quality of their French. At the end of the project, the date everything is due, each group will turn in a hard copy of what they have written on the wiki. Also, I will take into accounts comments made by students in calculating the final grade. Furthermore, students will also be required to give an oral presentation on their topic in French. They basically need to be informative and share what they have learned about their aspect of French civilization with the rest of the class. The others will then have the opportunity to ask questions. I firmly believe that the oral presentation of this project is extremely important and necessary, as it encourages oral expression. Thus, my grading rubric would be as follows:
-Quality of research: /20pts
-Wiki Posting: /25pts
-Comments on other wiki postings: /10pts
-Oral Presentation: 15pts
Total Pts Possible: 70
The posting and presentation grades measure the quality of the language (grammar, spelling and syntax) and the thoughtfulness of the comments.
-After all the presentations are given (this could take one to two days), we will discuss in class what we have learned. I will encourage students to compare French society to our own: How are we different? How are we the same? Do you have a preference for one society or another? Why? Ideally, the students will discuss with each other their thoughts, with me acting as an arbiter. French will be, of course, the language of discussion.
Here's a helpful link:
French Civilization
Ministère des Affaires Étrangères
-Project Design: For my CMC based actitvity, I have decided to design a program aimed mainly at French IV students. These students are in the advanced level and are for the most part quite serious about taking French. Therefore, I firmly believe that my students, given their statute in this advanced class, are beyond learning grammar and language for the sake of learning grammar and language. In other words, this group is ready to carry out a project that deals with modern French society and civilization. Thus, I have decided to implement a CMC activity/project that will permit them, not only to use the language in a more content-oriented context, but also to be exposed to various CMC media in order to further facilitate their knowledge of the language. Specifically, the students in the class will first choose a partner to work with. Each group will then be in charge of a certain ‘aspect’ of society from a list that I will provide them. In effect, each group will be able to pick from the following topics: The French system of education, French politics, something from history (i.e. the Revolution), the family, science, art, or religion in France. Students will choose a topic that interests them, such as education, and begin their research project.
Evidently, the ultimate goal of the project is to promote and develop cultural awareness among the students. This project wull also cultivate and facilitate the communcation, culture and comparisions of FL learning. On the whole, the students will gain a better cultural awareness about French society by collaborating on this media. Students will also be able to report on, compare and comment on French society to American society by the end of this project. First off, obviously a group is going to gain cultural awareness on its own research topic. But each group with furthermore gain a cultural awareness of the other groups topics as well, since they are going to make comments about each other’s postings. Moreover, I believe that this project promotes communicative competence in addition to cultural awareness. Indeed, students are forced to use the language in order to communicate thoughts with their partners and with the group as a whole on a variety of complicated topics. This type of collaboration goes far in cultivating negotiation of meaning among the students…They will have to manipulate the language in a way they have never before in order to convey the central messages of their research. Furthermore, the comments themselves give the opportunity to express approval/disapproval and make suggestions, which are essential skills in a language.Finally, students will gain the ability to compare aspect of French society to their own here in America. In short, even thought the main benefit of the project is the sharing of cultural information, negotiation of meaning constitutes a necessary component in order to achieve that goal.
-The project itself consists essentially of several phases. First off, our French class will create a class wiki. A wiki is the CMC medium that is indeed the most ideal for this project, as it allows for collaboration among multiple users who are serious about a certain topic. Once the class wiki is created, the students can then begin their project. Each group will do research on a topic and then post their findings to the wiki in French. They would not be, however, devoid of direction from me. I will expect them not only to report on the presence of their topic in France, but also to compare and contrast its presence in the US. Thus, a group doing politics could explain the similarities and differences between their system of government and ours. Moreover, each group would be required to comment in French on the other group’s postings. Finally, I would expect this project to go on for a period of about one to two weeks, depending on the motivations and abilities of the class. I would consider this as a one-time project and not an on-going one. Even though there is only one true due date, students are expected to make postings and/or comments two or three times a week.
-
-Finally, the students will be evaluated according to two criteria: The quality of the research and the quality of their French. At the end of the project, the date everything is due, each group will turn in a hard copy of what they have written on the wiki. Also, I will take into accounts comments made by students in calculating the final grade. Furthermore, students will also be required to give an oral presentation on their topic in French. They basically need to be informative and share what they have learned about their aspect of French civilization with the rest of the class. The others will then have the opportunity to ask questions. I firmly believe that the oral presentation of this project is extremely important and necessary, as it encourages oral expression. Thus, my grading rubric would be as follows:
-Quality of research: /20pts
-Wiki Posting: /25pts
-Comments on other wiki postings: /10pts
-Oral Presentation: 15pts
Total Pts Possible: 70
The posting and presentation grades measure the quality of the language (grammar, spelling and syntax) and the thoughtfulness of the comments.
-After all the presentations are given (this could take one to two days), we will discuss in class what we have learned. I will encourage students to compare French society to our own: How are we different? How are we the same? Do you have a preference for one society or another? Why? Ideally, the students will discuss with each other their thoughts, with me acting as an arbiter. French will be, of course, the language of discussion.
Here's a helpful link:
French Civilization
Ministère des Affaires Étrangères
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Voici un lien au site officiel de L'Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie
La Francophonie est un organisme international qui comprend l'ensemble des pays francophones au monde. Une nation quelconque peut y appartenir soit comme pays membre, soit comme pays observateur. Afin de constituer un des pays membres, il faut que la langue officielle de la nation soit le francais.
La Francophonie est un organisme international qui comprend l'ensemble des pays francophones au monde. Une nation quelconque peut y appartenir soit comme pays membre, soit comme pays observateur. Afin de constituer un des pays membres, il faut que la langue officielle de la nation soit le francais.
Social Software Tool- Clipmarks 2.0
An interesting social software tool I found on the web is called "Clopmarks 2.0" I had actually never heard of this particular program, but apparently it is becoming more in more poplular among interner users. Basically, "Clipmarks 2.0" is a mix of a blog and a social software network like del.ic.ious. And, above all, it's quite simple. To create one, you simply click on the orange clip button at the top of the browser. Then, you "clip" the parts of a page (text or image) and save it to clipmarks.com. Your clip itself could consist of an image, a text (i.e. a newspaper article from the web) or even a video. You can also post your clip to your blog or e-mail it to your friends even. You also have the ability to decide whether you want your clip to be private or able to be seen by others.
In a foreign language class, this site would be ideal for researching and clipping articles from various newspapers in the target language. For example, a group of students doing a report on the upcoming presidential election in France could clip various articles on the subject. It would furthermore permit them to notice the different nuances of perspective coming from a variety of news sources. Moreover, the newly added video feature would allow students to clip news broadcasts from different channels (TV-5, France-2). This would go far in enhancing listening comprehension along with reading skills.
For more information, you can consult the site http://www.clipmarks.com
In a foreign language class, this site would be ideal for researching and clipping articles from various newspapers in the target language. For example, a group of students doing a report on the upcoming presidential election in France could clip various articles on the subject. It would furthermore permit them to notice the different nuances of perspective coming from a variety of news sources. Moreover, the newly added video feature would allow students to clip news broadcasts from different channels (TV-5, France-2). This would go far in enhancing listening comprehension along with reading skills.
For more information, you can consult the site http://www.clipmarks.com
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Possible Research Topics
For my final project, I would like to explore the role of synchronous CMC as it pertains to participation and performance. I have read a lot of literature in the course that asserts CMC indeed improves the quality of linguistic output and the level of participation among the more reticent students. I personally would like to see whether this is an accurate assertion. I would need to find a way to measure the performace of students before and after synchronous CMC is implemented. I would take a sample of both weak and strong students and see if the quality of linguistic output improves. Furthermore, I would analyse the level of participation of the so-called "reticent" students during CMC vis-à-vis the traditional class setting. Does CMC indeed improve performance and participation? If it does, who improves more, the weaker students or the stronger students? Furthermore, another issue I would like to address is, if CMC does indeed do what many people claim, what synchronous CMC method is the most effective? Is it possible even to tell? These are certainly questions that will prove to be invaluable in the classroom setting. If CMC is effective, the teacher could play a more active role in improving his or her students' performances.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Summary of Blogs
For my blogs, I decided to search for three topics that were the most interesting to me. Besides language, what I love most is comedy and travel. So, the first blog I came across was completely dedicated to the show “Family Guy,” on Adult Swim. I have loved that show ever since it came out, so I was curious to find out what the blog had to offer. The blog obviously run by a group of the production team. The gaps between posts are sometimes two or three weeks, which is what I would say to be the biggest downfall of this blog. Despite that, it has a lot to offer us Family Guy junkies. First off, it is “authentic” in that an actual member of the Family Guy Production Team posts the blogs. He mainly gives updates on shows, seasons, and characters. He also provides direct blogs from the actors themselves. I actually was able to read a blog written by Alex Borstein, who plays the role of Lois Griffin. Finally, the blogger gives an overview of the latest Family Guy merchandise (Paintings, DVDs, games, etc).
Since choosing between one’s favorite animated comedies is like choosing one’s favorite child, I decided to pick both. The second blog I visited was the official South Park blog. It resembles the Family Guy blog in many regards. First off, it is run by actual members of the production staff. This blog, called “South Park Studios,” provides up to date information about what is going on in the show. Also, it provides weekly summaries and analyses of the newest shows, as well as commentary from the creators and animators. Finally, it also provides the latest in merchandise and DVDs. I personally prefer this blog to that of Family Guy only because it seems to give more in depth commentary and analysis of each episode. It even gives commentary on some of the classics, which are my personal favorites.
In order to satisfy the inner traveler in me, I found an *outstanding travel blog. In reality, it is an enormous collection of blogs called “Travel Blogger.” Here, one can find travel diaries of just about any country in the world. At the main page of the site, one has only to click on a continent, and then a country. Since I am personally fascinated by Scandinavia, I chose the Norway travel blog. All week, different people who had been traveling in this country posted their own blogs, along with pictures of the beautiful sites they had visited. What struck me the most, however, was that, on any given blog, you could see entries in two or three different languages. I personally saw entries on the Norwegian blog in French, as well as in English. This is definitely a blog that I would recommend because it is so versatile and so well done. It indeed has enough to satisfy even the most capricious of travelers!
In summation, having observed these blogs this week, I was able to start thinking of some of ideas for my own blog. While I don’t have any specifics at this time, I am definitely going to try to incorporate these three interests of mine into my blog. They are, after, part of the fabric which makes up who I am as an individual.
Since choosing between one’s favorite animated comedies is like choosing one’s favorite child, I decided to pick both. The second blog I visited was the official South Park blog. It resembles the Family Guy blog in many regards. First off, it is run by actual members of the production staff. This blog, called “South Park Studios,” provides up to date information about what is going on in the show. Also, it provides weekly summaries and analyses of the newest shows, as well as commentary from the creators and animators. Finally, it also provides the latest in merchandise and DVDs. I personally prefer this blog to that of Family Guy only because it seems to give more in depth commentary and analysis of each episode. It even gives commentary on some of the classics, which are my personal favorites.
In order to satisfy the inner traveler in me, I found an *outstanding travel blog. In reality, it is an enormous collection of blogs called “Travel Blogger.” Here, one can find travel diaries of just about any country in the world. At the main page of the site, one has only to click on a continent, and then a country. Since I am personally fascinated by Scandinavia, I chose the Norway travel blog. All week, different people who had been traveling in this country posted their own blogs, along with pictures of the beautiful sites they had visited. What struck me the most, however, was that, on any given blog, you could see entries in two or three different languages. I personally saw entries on the Norwegian blog in French, as well as in English. This is definitely a blog that I would recommend because it is so versatile and so well done. It indeed has enough to satisfy even the most capricious of travelers!
In summation, having observed these blogs this week, I was able to start thinking of some of ideas for my own blog. While I don’t have any specifics at this time, I am definitely going to try to incorporate these three interests of mine into my blog. They are, after, part of the fabric which makes up who I am as an individual.
Thoughts on TIFLE
My experience in the TIFLE class has been very enlightening so far. I will be the first to admit that I feel very uncomfortable with technology. But this course has noy only shown me the merits of using technology in foreign language instruction, but it has also how it can be made pedagogically sound. I am not sure yet which methods I am going to use in my classroom instruction, but I am the most fond of the internet messaging. I firmly believe that this method lends itself to effective communication through technology.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Some interesting blogs I found
Summary of Blogs
For my blogs, I decided to search for three topics that were the most interesting to me. Besides language, what I love most is comedy and travel. So, the first blog I came across was completely dedicated to the show “Family Guy,” on Adult Swim. I have loved that show ever since it came out, so I was curious to find out what the blog had to offer. The blog is obviously run by a group of the production team. The gaps between posts are sometimes two or three weeks, which is what I would say to be the biggest downfall of this blog. Despite that, it has a lot to offer us Family Guy junkies. First off, it is “authentic” in that an actual member of the Family Guy Production Team posts the blogs. He mainly gives updates on shows, seasons, and characters. He also provides direct blogs from the actors themselves. I actually was able to read a blog written by Alex Borstein, who plays the role of Lois Griffin. Finally, the blogger gives an overview of the latest Family Guy merchandise (Paintings, DVDs, games, etc).
Since choosing between one’s favorite animated comedies is like choosing one’s favorite child, I decided to pick both. The second blog I visited was the official South Park blog. It resembles the Family Guy blog in many regards. First off, it is run by actual members of the production staff. This blog, called “South Park Studios,” provides up to date information about what is going on in the show. Also, it provides weekly summaries and analyses of the newest shows, as well as commentary from the creators and animators. Finally, it also provides the latest in merchandise and DVDs. I personally prefer this blog to that of Family Guy only because it seems to give more in depth commentary and analysis of each episode. It even gives commentary on some of the classics, which are my personal favorites.
In order to satisfy the inner traveler in me, I found an *outstanding travel blog. In reality, it is an enormous collection of blogs called “Travel Blogger.” Here, one can find travel diaries of just about any country in the world. At the main page of the site, one has only to click on a continent, and then a country. Since I am personally fascinated by Scandinavia, I chose the Norway travel blog. All week, different people who had been traveling in this country posted their own blogs, along with pictures of the beautiful sites they had visited. What struck me the most, however, was that, on any given blog, you could see entries in two or three different languages. I personally saw entries on the Norwegian blog in French, as well as in English. This is definitely a blog that I would recommend because it is so versatile and so well done. It indeed has enough to satisfy even the most capricious of travelers!
In summation, having observed these blogs this week, I was able to start thinking of some of ideas for my own blog. While I don’t have any specifics at this time, I am definitely going to try to incorporate these three interests of mine into my blog. They are, after, part of the fabric which makes up who I am as an individual.
For my blogs, I decided to search for three topics that were the most interesting to me. Besides language, what I love most is comedy and travel. So, the first blog I came across was completely dedicated to the show “Family Guy,” on Adult Swim. I have loved that show ever since it came out, so I was curious to find out what the blog had to offer. The blog is obviously run by a group of the production team. The gaps between posts are sometimes two or three weeks, which is what I would say to be the biggest downfall of this blog. Despite that, it has a lot to offer us Family Guy junkies. First off, it is “authentic” in that an actual member of the Family Guy Production Team posts the blogs. He mainly gives updates on shows, seasons, and characters. He also provides direct blogs from the actors themselves. I actually was able to read a blog written by Alex Borstein, who plays the role of Lois Griffin. Finally, the blogger gives an overview of the latest Family Guy merchandise (Paintings, DVDs, games, etc).
Since choosing between one’s favorite animated comedies is like choosing one’s favorite child, I decided to pick both. The second blog I visited was the official South Park blog. It resembles the Family Guy blog in many regards. First off, it is run by actual members of the production staff. This blog, called “South Park Studios,” provides up to date information about what is going on in the show. Also, it provides weekly summaries and analyses of the newest shows, as well as commentary from the creators and animators. Finally, it also provides the latest in merchandise and DVDs. I personally prefer this blog to that of Family Guy only because it seems to give more in depth commentary and analysis of each episode. It even gives commentary on some of the classics, which are my personal favorites.
In order to satisfy the inner traveler in me, I found an *outstanding travel blog. In reality, it is an enormous collection of blogs called “Travel Blogger.” Here, one can find travel diaries of just about any country in the world. At the main page of the site, one has only to click on a continent, and then a country. Since I am personally fascinated by Scandinavia, I chose the Norway travel blog. All week, different people who had been traveling in this country posted their own blogs, along with pictures of the beautiful sites they had visited. What struck me the most, however, was that, on any given blog, you could see entries in two or three different languages. I personally saw entries on the Norwegian blog in French, as well as in English. This is definitely a blog that I would recommend because it is so versatile and so well done. It indeed has enough to satisfy even the most capricious of travelers!
In summation, having observed these blogs this week, I was able to start thinking of some of ideas for my own blog. While I don’t have any specifics at this time, I am definitely going to try to incorporate these three interests of mine into my blog. They are, after, part of the fabric which makes up who I am as an individual.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Journals Found Online
Journals Found Online:
Title: Synchronous and Asynchronous Text-Based CMC in Educational Contexts (Article)
Author: Johnson, Genevieve, Marie
Journal Name: Tech Trends (v. 50, no. 4) 2006
-Journal basically analyses current uses of technology in the K-12 schools. The Journal conducts interviews and experiments as well on most current media one can find in a classroom. For example, its earliest issue from back in 1985 deals with the use of TV in education. This journal would provide a good general overview of CMC. The average length of articles seems to be about 20 pages.
Title: Technology-enhanced Language Learning: A Case Study (Article)
Author: Yang, S.C.; Chen, Y.J.
Journal Name: ScienceDirect
Website: www.sciencedirect.com
-This Journal deals with the use of technology in foreign language education, as well as other fields such as mental health. The average length of each article seems to be about 15 pages.
Title: Computer Assisted Language Learning (Article)
Author: Colapert, J.
Journal Name: EPSCO
Website: www.epscphost.com
-EPSCO is a journal that specializes in education, language & linguistics and technology. It has been publishing issues since 1997, many of which are prevalent in the use of technology in the language classroom. Average length of articles is 20 pages as well.
Title: Using Assistive Technology to Foster Language Skills in Preschool and at Home (Article)
Author: Skau, L. and Cascella, P.W.
Journal Name: Teaching Exceptional Children
Website: www.vnwev.hwilsonweb.com
-Even though this journal deals mainly with a certain group of children, it provides good insight on language acquisition methods as it pertains to young children. The average length of each article is about 10 pages. The journal has been publishing since 1983.
Title: Learning and the Development of Intercultural Experiecce (Article)
Author: Meeling-Liaw
Journal Name: Language Learning and Technology (Sept. 2006)Website: http://find.galegroup.com
Title: Synchronous and Asynchronous Text-Based CMC in Educational Contexts (Article)
Author: Johnson, Genevieve, Marie
Journal Name: Tech Trends (v. 50, no. 4) 2006
-Journal basically analyses current uses of technology in the K-12 schools. The Journal conducts interviews and experiments as well on most current media one can find in a classroom. For example, its earliest issue from back in 1985 deals with the use of TV in education. This journal would provide a good general overview of CMC. The average length of articles seems to be about 20 pages.
Title: Technology-enhanced Language Learning: A Case Study (Article)
Author: Yang, S.C.; Chen, Y.J.
Journal Name: ScienceDirect
Website: www.sciencedirect.com
-This Journal deals with the use of technology in foreign language education, as well as other fields such as mental health. The average length of each article seems to be about 15 pages.
Title: Computer Assisted Language Learning (Article)
Author: Colapert, J.
Journal Name: EPSCO
Website: www.epscphost.com
-EPSCO is a journal that specializes in education, language & linguistics and technology. It has been publishing issues since 1997, many of which are prevalent in the use of technology in the language classroom. Average length of articles is 20 pages as well.
Title: Using Assistive Technology to Foster Language Skills in Preschool and at Home (Article)
Author: Skau, L. and Cascella, P.W.
Journal Name: Teaching Exceptional Children
Website: www.vnwev.hwilsonweb.com
-Even though this journal deals mainly with a certain group of children, it provides good insight on language acquisition methods as it pertains to young children. The average length of each article is about 10 pages. The journal has been publishing since 1983.
Title: Learning and the Development of Intercultural Experiecce (Article)
Author: Meeling-Liaw
Journal Name: Language Learning and Technology (Sept. 2006)Website: http://find.galegroup.com
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