It’s becoming common place but it’s the
truth: the beginning of the week is always stressful with all the readings and
the first discussion post for Wednesday. As digital as it gets, I have to
download and print some of the documents… yes, I admit it, but I keep faithful
to the printed word which means I spend the nights reading. Anyway, first responsibilities and commitments, and so far so
good, as all has been very interesting.
This week the readings were on oral / aural
skills and I couldn’t help thinking that I have neglected listening. I use many
listening activities in classes but could do even more especially with
authentic materials. Now that I think about it, even in my other blog, that has
been the most neglected skill. In this sense, the readings were an eye-opener and
the links shared a major asset: free lesson plans, printable worksheets, downloadable resources. Amazing. By now, all links and documents are already bookmarked in https://delicious.com/ .
I’m very keen on testing free tools and
apps and our Serbian colleague shared an interesting link for a reading / listening activity
that I immediately tried out (thank you Zeljko). The app is only available for
Androids (version 4.1 and above) and iOS and the recording has to be real short. I
prepared something for you: a book recommendation on “The Book Thief”, one of
the books I read last year and whose movie adaptation has premiered this
Thursday Jan 23rd here in Portugal. Hope you like it.
Having done so, I still had to read a
sample project report from former Webskills participants. I loved the one I
picked but I kind of panicked! How I admire the colleague: so much work and so
little time! I have so many plans for my class in order to integrate
technology. I feel I am being too ambitious, or too naïve. That’s what I really
like doing but after having read one project attentively and skimming two or
three more, students need time to internalize deep changes from teacher-centred
to student-centred learning, to become aware that computers are not only to
play but also serve educational purposes, to know that manners matter in the Internet.
What a Herculean task! Our colleagues have done wonders, now it’s me who
wonders how and when I am going to accomplish a project I haven’t even started.
Let’s see the bright side: we are all in
the same boat and have Donna on our side, right?
Have a great weekend.
Greetings from Portugal,
Alex
Hi Alex,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your video using "tellagami" and I'd like your help in creating one for my students. I totally agree with you that integrating CALL in student-centered classes requires training and preparation not only for teachers but also for students. Students should be given learner autonomy training sessions before and during CALL instruction with three key kinds of preparations:Psychological, methodological and practice in self-direction. You can get more from Kazunori Nozawa's "Learning Technologies and Learner Autonomy" (http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/~nozawa/KumamotoUSympo07.pdf ). In addition, students should believe that they are doing a vital role in their own learning and that technology supports them in doing this. I think that if technology is integrated correctly and functionally, students will recognize the role it plays in their learning.
Regards,
Amira
Dear Amira,
DeleteI'm quite hands-on as you have already noticed. It will be a pleasure to help you with a gami. As it is so easy, allow me to redirect you first to my other blog where I've detailed the creation of the gami above (I've scheduled the post for tomorrow morning!). If doubts persist after reading the post, please let me know.
In what concerns the integration of CALL, I couldn't agree more but you described an ideal situation. In Portugal there no subjects whose curricula include those topics or training sessions. I teach in a one computer classroom and only IT vocational courses go to our computer rooms. I do my best as other teachers certainly do and support each other by working together. This last week the school's IT teacher and myself started devising activities together to involve our classes in order to achieve what you have described in your post. Therefore, Amira, thank you so much for your reading recommendation. You're a fantastic colleague and an expert on this. I highly value your comments and reading suggestions.
Greetings from Portugal,
Alex
Dear Yulya,
ReplyDeleteYou didn't know about the project and the hard work it always involves? In person, I don't know any of the Portuguese teachers who has already participated in these courses but I've always heard from others and read in short opinion articles published by the Portuguese English Language Teachers' Association that all courses are very demanding. I don't think I lack enthusiasm, plans or ideas. My problem is time! And short term objectives achievable by my twelve year-ols.
Cheer up, Yuliya!
Greetings from Portugal,
Alex
Reading your posts and visiting your blog makes me active and cheerful. Thank you for your share. I teach English as a foreign language so I think the beginners should have vocabulary basis to have advantages in listenig. Integrating CALL in the classroom should be step by step. From my own experience Kinesthetic learning is first then listening should be with acting, next step is through videos. Last step is audio. Native learners' mind demands direction or comparison. My opinions seem simple but I work at secondary school and the ways we teach and the environment we have sometimes get us to find alternative ways.
ReplyDeleteAmira's views are very clear. If we set up definite goal we could create systematic and specific ways of teaching. In this case our students could continue their classroom tasks as homeworks and use computers as educational tools.
Best regards Sanobar
Thank you for your comment, Sanobar.
DeleteWIth adult learners I tend to use more Kinesthetic activities - experience and their feedback has taught me that those activities work best. With younger / teen learners that can become complicated - at least now in my school that we are dealing with so many discipline problems...
Greetings from Portugal,
Alex
Dear Alex,
ReplyDeleteIt's just amazing how you make difficult things appear so easy - the videoclip with your avatar recommending a book it's just amazing! Would you teach us to do the same one day? On the other hand, you are doing so well in all the tasks and activities that I have a feeling that you're the one that's setting the standards for this course (this might be a controversial or disputable opinion, as I haven't actually gone through everybody's production). I honestly hope you don't find the time you're longing for because if you did, I don't really know how high the bar would be ( it's a joke!).
I can see that several of your comments refer to implementing CALL in the classroom. Sure you've read the article by Julia Gong. Could we know what you think about it?
Carlos
Hi Carlos,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment.
Glad that you liked the avatar though the voice is a bit strange :) Gamis are quite easy to create so if interested, and just like I suggested Amira, for the first steps, please visit my other blog at http://www.clubeinglesoure.blogspot.pt.
As for the article you mentioned on CALL, that one in particular was the first I read and proved to be worthwhile.
Ever since we have had computers at school that I try to use them as often as possible and for the most varied activities. However, there are no language labs in my school and I only teach in one computer classrooms which limits me - and how! I do agree with all the advanatges pointed out by the article's author and I often provide many links to students (in class or via email) so that they don't lack any study resources (they include dictionaries with audio, interactive games and activities...) What I feel is that students are not used to student-centered learning and keep waiting for the teacher to do everything for them. My doubts in this article are more concerned with the idea that (page 5) "...discussion forums and synchronous discussion can also help in the development of the learners' speaking skills..." once the quality of that chat is questionable (do sts use this means, among others, correctly and efectively?). I've been implementing speaking activities essentially with mobile phones once they allow anyone anywhere anytime to record voices.
Hope I was clear even if brief.
Greetings from Portugal,
Alex