I found both articles on learner autonomy very enriching. I’d like to highlight some concepts I found particularly relevant. To start with, I completely agree with Thanasoulas (http://iteslj.org/Articles/Thanasoulas-Autonomy.html) when he states that learner autonomy is an ongoing process instead of a final state or product reached once and for all. However, that process cannot take place spontaneously. Instead, it requires the teacher to foster and facilitate its development by awakening their students’ passion for learning, curiosity and awareness of the need to do their share in the learning process. Thus, according to Leni Dam (1990, cited in Gathercole, 1990: 16), drawing upon Holec (1983), teachers would do a great job if they empowered learners to independently choose aims and purposes and set goals; choose materials, methods and tasks; exercise choice and purpose in organizing and carrying out the chosen tasks; and choose criteria for evaluation. In fact, that perfectly matches the constructivist point of view, which states that “knowledge cannot be taught but only learned (that is, constructed)', because knowledge is something 'built up by the learner'.
However, Samuel P-H Sheu in his article at http://coyote.miyazakimu.ac.jp/learnerdev/LLE/8.1/sheuE.html makes two very interesting points. On one hand he mentions that fostering learner autonomy can be hampered at certain educational contexts where teachers are required to work with a specific syllabus and textbook, under time constraints and/or within examination-oriented systems. It may be true. Nevertheless, I think that similarly as what he did, it’s up to the teacher to find ways and apply techniques to adopt "learner training/awareness activities accompanied with the textbook" that would foster a certain degree of learner autonomy.
On the other hand, Sheu adds a very interesting and usually neglected aspect in the analysis of this topic: the interconnections between learner autonomy and teacher autonomy. I agree. How could we, teachers, foster autonomy in our students if we didn’t actively outline and carry out our own teacher development? Like Sheu, I also like Richard Smith’s concept of "teacher-as-learner autonomy (in a variety of areas of professional expertise)” In my opinion, the more autonomous “learners” we become as professionals, the better we will know ourselves, our own strategies and beliefs and the challenges faced throughout this ongoing process. These self-knowledge gained will enable us to help our students work towards their own autonomy as learners of a foreign language better. More importantly, we would be doing so from an ethical position since our actions would be speaking louder than our words.
Margarita
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
WEEK 6: Interactive Power Point
I think the article Best Practices in Presenting with PowerPoint - from the UO's Teaching Effectiveness Program offers excellent tips for making effective and truly interactive power point presentations. The interactive ppt sample is great too.
Reflecting on this topic has made me realize two things. First, I cannot recall using ppt in my classes when I was teaching. Fostering interactivity was a must, of course, but the most common technological resources we used were audio, videos, movie segments, useful websites and CD-ROMs. Second, nowadays our students are taught how to make good oral presentations and required to make one at the Advanced level and even in more depth at the Alianza Teaching Program. Student-teachers need to make a professional oral presentation to graduate as teachers. However, I think that we could explore the possibility to incorporate well-planned ppts to our teaching practices as a way to add variety and enhance interactivity at the intermediate and even high-basic levels as well.
The tips presented in the different articles can also be transferred to the presentations I do have to make for student-teachers or colleagues as a coordinator either in power point or Prezi, which is the current trend at the Alianza nowadays. I always plan them in a way that would allow for some interactivity, even if they are not workshops. To achieve this, I have used some of the techniques mentioned by Deborah Healey such as a quick quiz to activate the audience’s schema, concept tests such as true or false, short answer, matching, multiple choice, etc, at different moments to wrap up different sections of the presentation, and Think,Pair,Share. However, it was great to read about the blank slide technique to refocus attention onto the speaker and for discussion and the interpreted lecture, which implies having a member of the audience paraphrase a concept in his or her own words.
Last but not least, I loved the tips of using power point as an organizer with word and excel documents open in our PC as a hyperlink, enriching ppts with audio and video files and making non-linear ppts. Moving back or forward to different elements or websites according to the result of the interaction that is taking place will definitely make our presentation much more dynamic and centered on the audience’s needs.
Margarita
Reflecting on this topic has made me realize two things. First, I cannot recall using ppt in my classes when I was teaching. Fostering interactivity was a must, of course, but the most common technological resources we used were audio, videos, movie segments, useful websites and CD-ROMs. Second, nowadays our students are taught how to make good oral presentations and required to make one at the Advanced level and even in more depth at the Alianza Teaching Program. Student-teachers need to make a professional oral presentation to graduate as teachers. However, I think that we could explore the possibility to incorporate well-planned ppts to our teaching practices as a way to add variety and enhance interactivity at the intermediate and even high-basic levels as well.
The tips presented in the different articles can also be transferred to the presentations I do have to make for student-teachers or colleagues as a coordinator either in power point or Prezi, which is the current trend at the Alianza nowadays. I always plan them in a way that would allow for some interactivity, even if they are not workshops. To achieve this, I have used some of the techniques mentioned by Deborah Healey such as a quick quiz to activate the audience’s schema, concept tests such as true or false, short answer, matching, multiple choice, etc, at different moments to wrap up different sections of the presentation, and Think,Pair,Share. However, it was great to read about the blank slide technique to refocus attention onto the speaker and for discussion and the interpreted lecture, which implies having a member of the audience paraphrase a concept in his or her own words.
Last but not least, I loved the tips of using power point as an organizer with word and excel documents open in our PC as a hyperlink, enriching ppts with audio and video files and making non-linear ppts. Moving back or forward to different elements or websites according to the result of the interaction that is taking place will definitely make our presentation much more dynamic and centered on the audience’s needs.
Margarita
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Week 5: PBL and WebQuests
I was delighted by Susan Gaer’s folktales and school newspaper projects. Although implementing projects like those wouldn’t be feasible in my teaching context due to curriculum design and time constraints mainly, the way she explains the rationale that lies behind these projects, her classroom management and the outcomes achieved are really inspiring. I was amazed by the sensitivity and linguistic accuracy displayed in two of the products shared: A Hmong Folktale and the poem Praying by Maria Mendez.
Susan Gaer’s web learning projects site: http://susangaer.com/studentprojects/ is also interesting. I explored ‘’The Cost of Living’’ project and lesson plan at: http://susangaer.com/studentprojects/lessonplan.html, which I found appropriate in terms of topic and level of difficulty for a high-intermediate level at the Alianza.
In addition, this week’s sites about WebQuests are extremely useful. Apart from the theoretical foundation, they provide many lesson plans with practical ideas on a variety of topics. For instance, I liked the one at http://www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=68523 on Environmental Disasters. The conclusion (final product) shows the learner’s creativity through the design and a deep message on the need to preserve our planet. The lesson plan also explains in detail what skills are practiced throughout the task.
For teenagers and young adults, the webquest on “The Evolution of Dance” (lesson plan at http://www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=66531), which perfectly matches the curriculum for our intermediate level, would be extremely motivating. The YouTube video included in the process stage is very enjoyable. Through this WebQuest, students would explore the impact of dance through cultural, historical, and societal progression.
As a final reflection, I’d like to say that I totally agree with Susan Gaer that “the students must see value in a project”. As I see it, for project-based learning and WebQuests to succeed it’s essential that the task be meaningful, related to the learners’ interests and purposeful. In other words, the outcome of the task should go beyond the mere manipulation of language or the mere practice of certain skills. As Susan Gaer says: “students develop language and literacy skills by working on a product that will exist beyond the classroom walls. This creates excitement and motivation…”
Margarita
Susan Gaer’s web learning projects site: http://susangaer.com/studentprojects/ is also interesting. I explored ‘’The Cost of Living’’ project and lesson plan at: http://susangaer.com/studentprojects/lessonplan.html, which I found appropriate in terms of topic and level of difficulty for a high-intermediate level at the Alianza.
In addition, this week’s sites about WebQuests are extremely useful. Apart from the theoretical foundation, they provide many lesson plans with practical ideas on a variety of topics. For instance, I liked the one at http://www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=68523 on Environmental Disasters. The conclusion (final product) shows the learner’s creativity through the design and a deep message on the need to preserve our planet. The lesson plan also explains in detail what skills are practiced throughout the task.
For teenagers and young adults, the webquest on “The Evolution of Dance” (lesson plan at http://www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=66531), which perfectly matches the curriculum for our intermediate level, would be extremely motivating. The YouTube video included in the process stage is very enjoyable. Through this WebQuest, students would explore the impact of dance through cultural, historical, and societal progression.
As a final reflection, I’d like to say that I totally agree with Susan Gaer that “the students must see value in a project”. As I see it, for project-based learning and WebQuests to succeed it’s essential that the task be meaningful, related to the learners’ interests and purposeful. In other words, the outcome of the task should go beyond the mere manipulation of language or the mere practice of certain skills. As Susan Gaer says: “students develop language and literacy skills by working on a product that will exist beyond the classroom walls. This creates excitement and motivation…”
Margarita
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