A great group: Learning with computers

I found the group which is Learning with computers from yahoo very useful. All the language teachers can get together to learn how to start integrating computers into teaching. We can learn from each other by asking and answering questions. Users can ask any questions related to technological education area, and can get abundant resources shared by others. Through the discussion, we can build network with others.I like asking questions and getting opinions from different people. I think this group will be very helpful to my future teaching.

A teacher is like a pipeline

In this day and age, I think a teacher is more like a pipeline, who delivers knowledge to students. In other words, a teacher is a knowledge carrier; without the carrier, knowledge cannot be easily passed on to the students. Knowledge cover all the fields in our lives so that no one can acquire all of them. For teachers, the knowledge that they can teach to their students is limited, but it doesn't mean that teachers cannot use other methods to broaden students' scope of knowledge. For example, teachers can tell students where they can learn more knowledge as well as obtain more information, or teachers can instruct the students in the efficient learning method. In my opinion, how a teacher leads his/her students to learn is more important than the knowledge itself. Just as mentioned in the article Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age written by George Siemens, "The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe."  

More importantly, teachers should make sure that the pipeline is leading to a right direction. What I to say is that teachers' decisions of what to teach and how to teach place  huge influences on students. It's essential for a teacher to teach his or her students the knowledge that is advancing with the times.Today, human beings have embarked upon the information era, so it's the teachers' responsibility to let their students know how to learn in the information epoch. For example, teachers can equip their students with the consciousness of connectivsim. In the infromation era, teaching students how to learn in the network is increasingly important. Like the video The Impact of Social Media on Learning says, when people use internet tools to have a dialogue with others, it's undoubtless that people can learn from each other's thoughts or learn how to express themselves. Communication can not only bring the increase of knowledge, but also can build people's ability of critical thinking. Therefore, the decision of what to teach can determine what kind of knowledge can students learn from. Where the pipe is leading to should be considered seriously by the teachers. 

As teachers, it's vital to instill knowledge into students; what's more, teachers should lead students to a right and broad way.

A really useful post

I subscribed to the blog of  Free Technology for Teachers  on my Google Reader, and I read a very interesting as well as useful post on the blog. Its title is "Three Good Sites Where Teachers Can Learn Tech Skills". I put its link at the end of this post. The reason why I found it's helpful is that it covers almost all the basic technological skills I want to learn. For example, on the website of Think Tutorial, I can learn how to use blog, browsers, communication tools, and so on. The website provides free, easy tutorials so that learners can understand and acquire the skills quickly. On the website of Learn It In 5, we get access to tons of videos to teach learners how to use web tools in classroom, such as Voice Thread, Diigo, and Skype. The third useful website is Make Use Of which offers dozens of free downloadable ebooks and cheat sheetsfree for a wide variety of software and web applications. It's really like a mini digital library. With so many useful information, it is doubtless that I can get essential benefits from them. I hope my sharing of this blog can benefit you as well. Below is the link of this great post:

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/09/three-good-sites-where-teachers-can.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+freetech4teachers%2FcGEY+%28Free+Technology+for+Teachers%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Two Great Videos

The video makes me to think what challenges we are facing as an educator? The world is shifting, the way we live is changing, as a result, the aim of education also should be reflected. Since technology place an increasing effects upon our lives, as a teacher in the future, we should be equipped with the knowledge of technological skills and make the best use of technological tools in our teaching. It's our obligation to spare no effort to enhance teaching efficiency as well as students' learning interest.  

Just as the question put forward at the end of the video, "Do I create a lifelong learner?", to answer the question, we have to be a lifelong learner first. Then, we create another one. 

This is an interesting video telling us how technology is shifting the world. Even though I know people's life is changing essentially under the impact of the development of science and technology, the figures in the video shock me also. After watching the video, I can't help thinking what  the world will be like in ten years? I cannot imagine!

Review of Brave New Digital World: Chapter one

At the beginning of book, the author presents some researches made by FSI, telling that four years of second language study at university are not sufficient to obtain functional proficiency. As a second language learner, I agree with the view that estimated by FSI. I have been studying English for more than 12 years. With such a long time learning experience, I still think that my English proficiency is not as good as it's supposed to. We had English classes several times each week, however, without target language speaking environment, it's still difficult for L2 language learners to improve his or her English level. And only a few students can get the opportunity to go abroad to have some internship program, which is the most expensive method of acquiring linguistic competence in another language. Based on this situation, the author notes that "Technology, then if used wisely, could play a major role in enhancing L2 learners' contact with the target language, especially in the absence of study abroad".Therefore, the principal focus of this book is to discuss how technology can best be employed in the foreign-language curriculum in order to enhance and enrich the learners' contact with the target language and thereby assist the SLA process. 

In this book, Blake claims "a second language is best learned and taught through interaction". And also, the author quotes Pica, Kanagy, and Falodun's statement, which is " Language learning is assisted through social interaction of learners and their interlocutors, particularly when they negotiate toward mutual comprehension of each other's message meaning". However, a question of whether technology can offer the L2 curriculum certain benefits within this theoretical framework, and if so, how does it go has been brought forward. To this question, some hold the opinion that computers are not human and cannot interact with anyone in the sense that two human beings can. However, Blake disagrees with the view and then he presents a research done by Reeves and Nass (1996,5) which reveals that computers can make a significant contribution to the SLA process because the students themselves feel that they are interacting with the computer in a real social manner.Then, the writer focuses on why certain technological tools should be integrated into the L2 curriculum and what potential contribution these tools stand to make to any given language program. One of the reason why technological tools is important provided by Blake is that technological tool like Internet not only can allow students to gain access to authentic L2 materials but also can gives all peoples a channel to express their voice, promote their self-image, and legitimize their goals. Therefore, technology become a good way to assist L2 learner to interact with others. 

Above is my review of Chapter one and all those ideas discussed impress me a lot. After reading the article, I am more favored of using technological tools in my future teaching. I believe it will enhance my teaching efficiency in the future. 

How to keep yourself safe on the Internet

When you use a blog, please pay attention to following tips:

1. Do not put your personal information on the Internet, which includes your name, address and phone number.

2.Before you upload photos to the Net, think about how you'd feel if it were seen by a parent/grandparent, college admissions counselor, or future employer.Since the photos on the Internet can be free downloaded by anyone and pass around online, it's better to consider the result before you upload your photos. If you want, choose some appropriate photos that won't bring a negative influence to you in the future. Also, for young children, it's better not to  post your pictures on the Internet.

3. Do not go out with someone you meet on the Internet.If you do meet the person, arrange the meeting in a public place and bring some friends along. 

4. Do not response to comments left by a stranger.

5. Check out what your friends write about you regularly. In their blogs, maybe they’re giving out your address or real name so someone can find you. Check the comments they leave on your blog to make sure they don’t give away personal details. 

6. Do not tell your password to anyone. Keep them in secret. 

7. If anyone (even someone you know) sends you something creepy, says something scary, asks lots of personal questions, or tries to meet you, report the problem.

8. Do not click on advertisement online.Some may contain viruses. 

9. Follow teacher's instructions seriously.

http://ilookbothways.com/learn-safety/blogging/
http://www.vbschools.com/computer_safety/blogging_tips.asp
http://mikemarcal.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-be-safe-on-world-wide-web.html

Technologies Is Changing the Way of Teaching

With the advent of information era, technologies are influencing our lives in varieties areas, including the education. More and more teachers as well as students use internet tools to teach and learn. As a result, it's imperative for us who are going to teach in a few years to gain some technologies skills.

Blogs are quite popular used in nowadays teaching classrooms for it can enhance and deepen learning. And there are a wide variety of ways of using them. Following are three ways I will choose to use blog in my teaching:

The first way I choose is to use blog as my Class Portal which can be a place for me to publish the course curriculum, syllabus, class rules, homework assignments and so on.  Through this way, blogs will become a powerful course management tool and students can easily find their homework from the blog.  

As we have created a class blog, the second way is to encourage students to blog their thoughts and questions, also, blog journal entries. What's more, to encourage students to post their comments and ideas about a topic discussed in the class.

The third way I will use it to post some videos or photos on the blog and ask students to discuss and write the reflections to these materials.

Communication

Since language is created for communication, we have to share our thoughts or different ideas by speaking or writing. Using a blog in teaching can encourage students to share their opinions through the Internet. They can discuss, post comments, ask questions on class blog so that the aim of communication can be achieved in the classroom.  

• Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions

• Standard 1.2 Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics

• Standard 1.3 Students present information, concepts, adn ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics. 

Culture 

Effective communication involves meanings that go beyond words and require an understanding of perceptions, gestures, folklore, and family and community dynamics. We can post a video or pictures that related to different cultures on the blog, and students can share their diverse culture background on the blog as well. In this way, blogs be used as a platform to learn and know other cultures. 

• Standard 2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied

• Standard 2 .2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied

Communities

On the blog, we can post some interesting topics related to students' hobbies or daily lives, such as favoriate movies, sports or novels. Through this way, communicating in the second language is no longer regarded as a learning course but a way to know more about others as well as to build friendship. Gradually, students may become more and more interested in learning a second language. 

• Standard 5.1 Students use the language both within and beyong the school setting

• Standard 5.2 Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment. 

Reference:

http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3392