My 1st Prezi!

Here's a "TA Train-a-thon" Agenda that I created for another UCSB course. It's intended to be for first-time Composition instructors!

 

Alternative Language Learning

“You’re Not Studying, You’re Just…”

MIT’s Ravi Purushotma published a piece entitled “You’re Not Studying, You’re Just…” in a 2005 issue of Language Learning and Technology.  It focuses on five “You’re Just _______ing” misconceptions about using technology that educators may want to reconsider:

1. Playing That Sims Game of Yours
2. Browsing the Web
3. In Typing Class
4. Listening to Music
5. Walking to Class
6. Doing What You Enjoy

“You’re Just Playing That Sims Game of Yours” occupies most of Purushotma’s analysis.  He makes a convincing case that (video)gaming offers instructors a chance to capitalize on students’ affinities for undertaking language learning while having fun at the same time.  This is particularly relevant for The Sims—“a game designed to simulate normal everyday life.  Players control the daily routines of a virtual family, guiding them through tasks such as managing personal hygiene, cooking food, finding jobs, entertaining guests, and so forth” (Purushotma, p. 81)—because of its reliance on potential “entry-level” (my words) L2 vocabulary words.  It’s a crash course in everyday language.  For educators that wish to reach an increasingly attention-strapped society, they would be wise to consider this alternative form of learning.

This is sometimes called “Edutainment,” and I think that’s an appropriate description.  To experience a knock-your-socks-off self-billed Edutainment, check out Bob Dylan’s Theme Time Radio Hour sets.  Built around a chosen theme such as “Birds,” “Blood,” or “Traveling the World,” he mixes history, pop culture, miscellaneous factoids, and music into a cohesive tapestry fit for the rock’n’roll gods.  Here’s a snippit.

Negotiating Negotiation

Crossing Frontiers (Kerns et al, 2004) is a metastudy/analysis of the impact of online learning—and specifically, language negotiations—on second language acquisition.  Through the scope of increasingly distance-based CMC (computer-mediated communication) learning environments, the authors look into research that examined negotiation of meaning and metalinguistic awareness.

Brace yourselves: I’m about to venture into copy’n’paste mode, but it’s for good reason.  Here’s a snapshop of four of the more interesting studies/ideas that Kerns et al highlight:

• “Together, these studies suggest that CMC has increasingly complexified and problematized current notions of meaning negotiation… the increasing number of online learner interactions that cross geographical, linguistic, cultural, social, and institutional lines strong calls for more detailed investigation into what Toyoda and Harrison (2002) characterize as the ‘discourse’ level of negotiation of meaning” (Kern at al, p. 246).

• “Online chatting does not necessarily lead to more complex second language writing either. In her study that ferreted out differences between language use in asynchronous and synchronous modes of interaction, Sotillo (2000) compared the discourse functions and syntactic complexity of 25 ESL students’ writing. She found that synchronous discussions elicited conversation that was more similar to face-to- face communication in terms of discourse functions: requests, apologies, complaints, and responses. Asynchronous writing promoted more sustained interactions and greater syntactic complexity” (p. 247).

• “Through the interactive exchange of viewpoints and perspectives, students using Cultura are not “receiving culture” but are involved in a reciprocal construction of one another’s cultures. The cultural literacy that Cultura aims to develop is therefore not transmitted (as in an E. D. Hirsch ‘list’ variety), but rather created and problematized through juxtapositions of materials, interpretations, and responses to interpretations.  This marks a key pedagogical change: The teacher shifts out of the ‘omniscient informant’ role and focuses on structuring, juxtaposing, interpreting, and reflecting on intercultural experiences” (249).

• “Kramsch and Thorne (2002) question the assumption that the type of communication students engage in over global networks (which tends to favor phatic contact and positive presentation of self) naturally supports the development of cross-cultural understanding. Reinterpreting a French–American e-mail exchange (Kern, 2000), they argue that it was not linguistic misunderstandings but a clash in cultural frames and communicative genres that hindered students’ ability to develop common ground for cross-cultural understanding. Specifically, what needed to be negotiated ‘was not only the connotations of words . . . but the stylistic conventions of the genre (formal/informal, edited/unedited, literate/orate), and more importantly the whole discourse system to which that genre belonged’ (p. 98). They argue that demands on communicative competence and negotiation may be quite different on the Internet (Blake, 2000; Kötter, 2003; Pellettieri, 2000 explore some of these differences), and they call for a reassessment of what these terms mean in globalized communication” (pp. 251-252).

Each of those pseudo-abstract blurbs held my interest, but I think that #3 was the most relevant for the purposes of teaching and learning.  The teacher-as-“omniscient informant,” from my perspective, ought to be a dying breed.  Sure, the instructor is the expert/professional, but if you’re going to ask how can I get students engaged?—which every teacher should—then you can’t blah blah blah blah blah them to death. 

Students need to be put front and center.  They need to be the ones talking.  They need to be the ones writing.  They need to be the ones thinking.  They need to be the ones doing.

If teachers—especially in language-based contexts—structure their courses, units, and lessons with this in mind, students will reap more “output time.”  And that’s key for negotiating meaning, whether it’s for the purposes of learning a foreign language or learning the language of academic discourse (which can seem like a foreign language in and of itself).

Qikpad -- A "Real-Time" Collaborative Writing/Editing Tool

Qikpad.co.uk

* This YouTube clip was truncated using the website TubeChop, www.tubechop.com.  Super-easy to use.
** The questionnaire was created via Google Forms.

Many thanks to my awesome in-class lab parner, Aaram Kim!!

Blogosphere

For my additional reading this week, I chose “Adventures in blogosphere: from blog readers to blog writers” by Ducate and Lomicka.  The researchers followed L2/FL learners over the course of one academic year.  In the first semester, students functioned as the blog readers of native speakers; in the second semester, they became the blog writers in that language. 

I thought that Ducate abnd Lomicka did an excellent job of outlining the fundamental educational purposes of blogging—they continuously reminded the reader of exactly how blogging can impact student learning.  Some of the communicative buzzwords that surfaced in the piece were: interactivity, collaboration, self expression, and self empowerment.  A handful of phrases that were associated with blogs included: middle space, contribut[ing] to a resurgence in journaling, social constructivism, genuine audience, and peer reviewed.  All very good stuff.

When the dust settled—when the last blogs were posted/commented/read, the questionnaires were administered, the focus groups were gathered, and the subsequent data could be analyzed—the researchers’ findings were unsurprisingly positive for blogs.  To me, the most interesting detail that surfaced in this study was the “pattern” that the researchers found when examining students’ “blogging assimilation” (my words).  In their words,  they claim, “We noticed that students followed a specific pattern as they moved from being blog readers to blog writers” (Ducate and Lomicka, p. 13).  These eight steps were: (1) Exploring the blogosphere, (2) Selecting the Blogger, (3) Getting to know the Blogger, (4) Connecting with the Blogger, (5) Articulating the identity of the Blogger, (6) Exploring blogging in the FL, (7) Establishing identity as FL Blogger, and (8) Forming a blog community. 

If you’re interested in blogging for educational purposes, what you can do with them in a classroom, and how they might impact student learning, I think that you’ll find this article to be a solid read. 

Technical Difficulties

Technical difficulties seemed to be a recurring thread in Dorothy Chun’s metanalysis of studies on intonation in software, “Signal Analysis Software for Teaching Discourse Intonation.”  SLA software has had to leap over numerous hurdles over the past few decades, namely weak speech signals (especially with voiceless consonants) and feedback delay (not responses that lacked “real time” quality). 

Speech digitization is another such concern.  Can a machine’s “synthetic voice” adequately account for the nuances of speech intonations for language learners?  What would be “good enough,” and why would that be good enough?  By what standard could/should speech intonation software (for teaching and learning purposes) be held accountable?  And what other factors might we consider—variables that might play into the greater equation of SLA, technology, and education?   

As Chun notes, “One of the greatest advantages of using computer-assisted pronunciation and intonation tutors, for example, is that the computer serves both as a medium of instruction and as a tool for research; that is a software program, while teaching pronunciation can simultaneously keep detailed and thorough records of student performance and progress” (Chun, p.9). 

Before we can paint a holistic portrait of a given software’s strengths and weaknesses, I think we would be wise to consider it through multiple lenses and a variety of angles.  There’s a lot on the plate.

19th Technological Cognitive Load Breakdown

Today’s tech-lab breakdown was intense.  The Google Docs, Forms, and related App tutorials max’d out my “cognitive load.”  So much to master, so many little features to figure out, but it’s all so important. 

With enough Torrey Trust-infused technology training sessions, I’m beginning to believe that any digital caveman/woman is capable of boosting their existing classroom into an interconnected 21^st century learning experience—with the underlying pedagogical principles to go with it (and on that front, a big hat’s off/ shout-out to Dorothy Chun too—she consciously points out the in-class teaching and learning relevance, and that’s super-helpful and super-important).  Colleagues, we’ve got a great team leading us, and I hope that you’re equally happy to be here for the ride.

I’m absolutely amazed at what you can do through Google Apps.  It’s sheer magic.  Its greatest ability, in my opinion, isn’t its user-friendliness, its free/“open source” nature, or its seemingly bottomless database of stored information—it’s its ability to facilitate instantaneous collaborative communication.  That reality offers teachers and their students significant opportunities to engage with each other through authentic assignments with living/breathing human audiences and real-time feedback.  Powerful stuff.

(PS: My blog title’s a spin off the Rolling Stones’ tune, “19^th Nervous Breakdown.”  Right around the time when we were discussing Google Forms/ Send Form/ Embed Form/ and pixel dimensions, I almost lost it (Sara Alamoudi can attest).  Anyways, if you got the pun, an end-of-quarter beer’s on me...)

A Link to My Writing Center Staff's New Blog!

Fellow ED 259 Colleagues:

Aside from my UCSB coursework, I have a side gig as the Director of the Writing Center at Antioch University Santa Barbara.  In the spirit of Blogging-Gone-Wild, I decided to start up a blog with my staff (four intelligent, dedicated, and overall wonderful writing tutors).  I thought that it'd provide a nice platform for us to reflect upon our practice.  It's very casual, light, and free -- and that's good, because I want it to be fun.

We're still in the "incubatory phase," but you've gotta start somewhere, right?  Check out the hyperlink: "Our Writing Center!" I wanted to draw attention to the word "our" because I want it to be a grassroots, bottom-up, collaborative collective.  

SWBAT Flashes

SWBAT Flashes

Dorothy stressed the need for us, as teachers, to continuously ask what is my goal for this particular lesson? when prepping for a class.  It brought back flashes of writing meticulous SWBAT (Students Will Be Able To) objectives within the daily grind of lesson planning as a student teacher in the Philadelphia School District.  Those flashes didn’t necessarily trigger warm, fuzzy memories—when you’re in thick of everyday teaching, writing and refining lesson objectives can be monumental pain in the ass—but it made me appreciate the discipline that my training has afforded me.  Curriculum design and its component parts (like planning for next Wednesday’s lesson) are ultimately driven by specific outcomes, goals, and objectives. 

“Backwards Design” (also referred to as “Backwards Planning”) is a way of “thinking through” your teaching by first considering what learning outcomes, goals, and objectives you would like your students to achieve.  By considering this approach, more meaningfully-structured lessons and purposefully-designed assessments might unfold.  For the purposes of L2 acquisition (learning a second language), instructors might want to think in terms of targeting very specific language skills—not necessarily avoiding the big picture, but thinking in terms of the small(er) picture first.  Conjugating verbs in X-tense, producing Y-sounds, or construct/partake in an authentic dialogue in Z-context.  Small is good; it’s about development then building upon that development.

In other news, some of the “techy” ideas/programs that I learned or was introduced to in class included: TubeChop (truncates YouTubes clips; tubechop.com), Artpad (think: capturing the creation of an MS Paint-like graphic; artpad.art.com), and Acapela-Group (a text-to-speech program; acapela-group.com), and iFrames (ahem… this one’s gonna take some time…).

CALL Me

CALL Me

Robert Fischer’s article A Conceptual Overview of the History of the CALICO Journal: The Phases of CALL was based around the acronym ICT, “Information and Communication Technology.”  In a nutshell, the CALL field (Computer Assisted Language Learning) evolved from placing its focus on ICT’s “T,” followed by its “I,” and then its “C.”  Once the foundational technological structures were in place, more attention has since been given to how CMC (computer-mediated communication) impacts the individual.  For educational researchers, this is good news: the emphasis is now being placed on students and their L2 development.    

Blogging on Blogger is Badass

Blogging on Blogger is Badass

In its simplicity, its authenticity, and its far-reaching accessibility—in a word—Blogger is badass.

Perhaps the biggest payoff of using Blogger as part of an educational curriculum is its capacity to provide immediate publication to a potentially limitless audience.  For writing instructors—or cross-curricular teachers who strive to provide their students with authentic writing assignments—this can be a great way to have students tap into the social networking world.  This screams AUDIENCE, and that can provide a significant motivating factor for student writers that wish to have their voice heard.

Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to use.  You can personalize it and toggle with the aesthetics.  And best of all, it’s free. 

I’m riding this Blogger wave so hard right now that I’m in the process of starting up a blog for my Writing Center at Antioch University Santa Barbara.  My hope is that it’ll provide my staff and me with a way to document the little writing world in which we live in—reflections, feelings, struggles, suggestions, and overall, a basis by which we can connect with each other through writing.  And, maybe just maybe, make some like-minded digital friends along the way.

Love and Marriage: Technology and the Net Generation

Love and Marriage: Technology and the Net Generation

Technology and the Net Generation are inseparable—you can’t have one without the other.  The Net Generation grew up (at least in part) in an interconnected, online world.  Internet access, email, and websites were ingrained into their experience at a young age, and over time, these technologies expanded into blogs, wikis, and various forms of social media.  For better or worse—and probably both—they have become integral threads in our collective communicative fabric.

So how does this reality affect teachers and their students?  What, then, are the implications for second language learning?  And what ramifications does this hold for teaching and learning? 

Before these questions can be appropriately addressed, I think that the first issue that needs to be considered is our (teachers, students, and all other users of computerized technology) technological proficiency.  Technological proficiency isn’t a “given.”  As Warschauer (2001) notes, “Even for the current generation of students, the so-called ‘digital natives,’ simply growing up surrounded by technology does not ensure that they will be effective communicators in online realms, just as growing up in a print world did not automatically make one a good reader and writer” (p. 56).  Teachers that wish to effectively incorporate technology and digital communication in their classroom must take the time to train their students in how to best utilize these technologies.  Only then can the prospects for a more connected, creative, and collaborative language learning prosper take shape.  

Technology takes time, patience, and negotiation—just like love and marriage.