About 1 year and a half ago, I started a blog for my French class: mon journal en francais
The way I used it, I would post questions related to our current topic and ask students to comment online. They had to contribute at least once a week.
I made several observations regarding "blogging in French" with students that made me "question" the validity of using of blog for my French students:
1. For some students, it became just another homework, where the teacher checked for participation. So the students' motivation behind their participation wasn't what I had hoped for.
2. Students could only answer my questions, yet I needed a tool that would allow them to be able to read & respond to each others' comments. A blog doesn't allow for this. (a forum might be better)
3. Technical skills: Writing online on the blog, students had to learn how to add accents and other symbols. It was easier for students to write their comment on a word document and then copy/paste their comment onto the blog. Changing the language of the entire keyboard, meant learning to type all over again.
4. Learning and using French in an online blog setting, students became self-conscious about their writing because others could read it. It took away from the spontaneous use of the language to communicate I was hoping for.
5. Writing a journal doesn't help become students more confident about speaking French.
6. time...time...time....
Unfortunately, I haven't gone back to using my classroom blog. I should continue to blog with my students. I have been meaning to do it through the schools' network (myisb). But I have also been researching other tools (ning, moodle, voicethread, podcasts,etc.) that could potentially help my students better. I struggle with time management, and finding the most efficient/relevant tool. The problem is, things change and evolve so quickly, by the time I think I have found a potential tool, there is another one out there that could be better.
(re: Your thoughts on Personal Learning Networks)
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Betchaboy
After listening and researching the web with Chris, I realize that I need to spend more time thinking about the credibility of the information I research on the web and use for classroom purposes.
We learned a lot of useful tips for researching on google as well as questioning the credibility of websites. Checking a page for content/purpose, contributors, general design & language are things we need to keep in mind for ourselves and the students we teach.
(re: Finding information online: How do we address truth and bias in the classroom? )
We learned a lot of useful tips for researching on google as well as questioning the credibility of websites. Checking a page for content/purpose, contributors, general design & language are things we need to keep in mind for ourselves and the students we teach.
(re: Finding information online: How do we address truth and bias in the classroom? )
Connecting with the rest of the world
Teaching French, one of my goals is to get students to speak in the target language. Ideally, I want my students to understands the value of learning another language: communication, interaction, connections. I am trying to get away from the "classroom/prepared" interactions, and bring students closer to more relevant & authentic interactions.
Learning French while living in Thailand may seem limiting at times, especially when my 15 French B students have been in the same class for 3 years, meeting 4 hours a week. I encourage students to use French amongst themselves in the classroom, but once they step outside, they go back to English.
Only a hand full will make a connection outside the classroom (for example their friend is a french speaker or they use the language to speak in code in front of others), but for many, French is only during period 6.
So my I challenge is to motivate students to use French to communicate with others.
I am hoping that the new technologies of web 2.0 will enable my students to connect with other French speaker or French learners here and there.
Learning French while living in Thailand may seem limiting at times, especially when my 15 French B students have been in the same class for 3 years, meeting 4 hours a week. I encourage students to use French amongst themselves in the classroom, but once they step outside, they go back to English.
Only a hand full will make a connection outside the classroom (for example their friend is a french speaker or they use the language to speak in code in front of others), but for many, French is only during period 6.
So my I challenge is to motivate students to use French to communicate with others.
I am hoping that the new technologies of web 2.0 will enable my students to connect with other French speaker or French learners here and there.
Catching on and keeping up
"You need to let go of the control" I hear.
Yet, I am used to having control of what I know and teach. I need to feel confident enough in my own (tech) skills in order to use them to teach my subject (French).
Technology is moving and growing faster every day, so by the time I start using one tool, another one is out there that seem to meet my (students') learning needs better.
How do you keep up?
I have learned so much about technology in the past 3 years, yet I have the constant feeling that I could be learning more.
"Your learning has to change." I hear.
So in joining COETAIL, I am hoping to be learning how to learn.
Yet, I am used to having control of what I know and teach. I need to feel confident enough in my own (tech) skills in order to use them to teach my subject (French).
Technology is moving and growing faster every day, so by the time I start using one tool, another one is out there that seem to meet my (students') learning needs better.
How do you keep up?
I have learned so much about technology in the past 3 years, yet I have the constant feeling that I could be learning more.
"Your learning has to change." I hear.
So in joining COETAIL, I am hoping to be learning how to learn.
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