As a student of the NAU Applicd Linguistics program, it seems almost mandatory that I know, understand, and love corpora. For the most part, I do love them, though I'm not sure I know or understand them well enough yet. What I find so intriguing is the massive amount of searchable data that can maybe work to answer my most pressing questions about frequency in language.
I appreciated the discussion and refutation of possible shortcomings of corpora at the outset of Flowerdew (2009), as it's always appropriate to consider the limitations of the technology used in the classroom. Promoting bottom-up processing, being somewhat decontextualized, fostering mainly inductive reasoning, and even the sheer number of choices that may bewilder students (and teachers) are interesting starting points for a discussion of language teaching and the use of CALL. I see these points as valid, but I don't think that they acknowledge fully the variety of approaches and viewpoints that are necessary to reach many groups of learners.
I haven't done much with corpora in my classroom yet, although I'd really like to try using corpora to develop students' stylistic choices in writing. Even as a graduate-level writer (we hope), I sometimes have inconsistencies in register that break up the flow of my writing. For L2 writers, the challenge of mastering a new register like academic writing is daunting, and any tool they have to ease the transition is a good investment.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
MD#1: Maps in Myanmar
This entry houses my first Materials Development project. It was designed for an EAP EFL context in Myanmar. Follow the links below to see my activities.
Lesson Plan
Socrative Quiz: import quiz SOC-856820
My Google Map
View Adv L/S Map of Yangon in a larger map
Lesson Plan
Socrative Quiz: import quiz SOC-856820
My Google Map
View Adv L/S Map of Yangon in a larger map
Monday, February 18, 2013
Thoughts from Week 5
Technology is becoming easier to integrate into my classroom. I am excited about trying to use technology, and I've been incorporating some ideas from class (socrative, digital stories, etc.).
The midterm helped me to cement some of my ideas about sociocultural theory. One idea I'm still working through is the idea that technology changes the way we think. How can that be? I mean, on one hand, I totally get it. I do think that I try to access information via mental "folders" in the same way that I store documents. I feel like my brain has a search function. But has the technology changed this, or was have our brains been this way forever?
It's easier for me to accept the other major tenant of sociocultural theory--the need for social learning. I'm drawn to the idea of making the ZPD work for us. Interactions in the ZPD have the potential to be well-scaffolded for the learner and to have value in the negotiation of meaning. I appreciated DuBravac's distinction between Krashen's i+1 (focused only on the learner's ability) and the ZPD (socially-oriented and involving all participants' abilties).
The midterm helped me to cement some of my ideas about sociocultural theory. One idea I'm still working through is the idea that technology changes the way we think. How can that be? I mean, on one hand, I totally get it. I do think that I try to access information via mental "folders" in the same way that I store documents. I feel like my brain has a search function. But has the technology changed this, or was have our brains been this way forever?
It's easier for me to accept the other major tenant of sociocultural theory--the need for social learning. I'm drawn to the idea of making the ZPD work for us. Interactions in the ZPD have the potential to be well-scaffolded for the learner and to have value in the negotiation of meaning. I appreciated DuBravac's distinction between Krashen's i+1 (focused only on the learner's ability) and the ZPD (socially-oriented and involving all participants' abilties).
Friday, February 15, 2013
Socrative: a recommended app for teachers
In class yesterday, I used Socrative to review vocabulary. The intuitive interface of this application was simple enough for me to put an activity together in a matter of minutes, which is a very practical aspect for teachers.
The Space Race function proved exciting for my students, even though (or maybe because) they had already practiced using the application in Karen's class (we have the same students). During the activity, I noticed that having one device per group was much more effective than everyone using individual phones/tablets because students were reading the questions aloud together and, wait for it, *discussing* the answers in English (Yes!!!).
One problem that I during class was retrieving students' answers or locating the questions quickly to review with students following the activity. I assume that with spending a little more time with the application outside of class, I will overcome these difficulties. Tips and tricks welcome.
My overall evaluation of this application is positive. Quick, easy, and engaging. Students were literally signing and dancing after they answered questions corrected--something I may not be able to attribute to Socrative, but a nice touch nevertheless.
The Space Race function proved exciting for my students, even though (or maybe because) they had already practiced using the application in Karen's class (we have the same students). During the activity, I noticed that having one device per group was much more effective than everyone using individual phones/tablets because students were reading the questions aloud together and, wait for it, *discussing* the answers in English (Yes!!!).
One problem that I during class was retrieving students' answers or locating the questions quickly to review with students following the activity. I assume that with spending a little more time with the application outside of class, I will overcome these difficulties. Tips and tricks welcome.
My overall evaluation of this application is positive. Quick, easy, and engaging. Students were literally signing and dancing after they answered questions corrected--something I may not be able to attribute to Socrative, but a nice touch nevertheless.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Another Attempt at Digital Stories
I created this animation for my Level 5 Listening/Speaking class. We will begin a unit on intelligent machines in two weeks, and our textbook reading is about artificial voices. Because one of our course objectives is to raise awareness and correct use of suprasegmental features of English, the opportunity to compare and contrast NS and artificial voices was too great to pass up. I simply typed the text from the book into the text-to-speech boxes on xtranormal and this is the animation I plan to share with my students. Students will follow along in their books as the artificial voice reads the text. Then, we will have a discussion about the features of the artificial voice that do not match those of native speakers. Because students will also be getting content information from the reading, we will continue to discussing content questions. Wish me luck!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Teaching Philosphy
Teaching Philosophy (CALL emphasis)
Jena K. Lynch
Teachers of English as a Second or Foreign Language have the responsibility to not only help learners develop language skills, but also become independent life-long learners and users of the language. In my teaching philosophy, I acknowledge the difficult task of meeting students' complex needs, and I will show how Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) applications factor into my teaching.
A curriculum is a program-wide educational framework that is agreed upon by teachers and administrators. The curriculum guides lesson planning and decision making day-to-day and in the larger picture. As a teacher, I am a vital part of carrying our the curricular goals, but I am also the vehicle for change, when necessary. Needs analysis, both as a preliminary measure and as an on-going method of data collection, is a critical step in maintaining a dynamic curriculum that is adequately meeting students' needs. This data collection process could be incredibly low-tech, via face-to-face interviews, or, to save time and energy, an application like Google Forms could be used to easily collect and compile student data for teacher review. From this information, I can better serve my students.
As a language teacher, I try to provide as much input and target language exposure as possible. Students need to listen and read the target language to develop an ear for the language. I try to make my physical classroom is rich in text, via word walls, realia (newspaper or magazine clippings), as well as hanging up posters or any relevant images to reinforce our content learning. Input and exposure should always be meaningful for students, and Technology should aid students in accessing meaningful input and exposure. I try to direct students to online resources, such as YouTube videos that are relevant to our course content, and target our key vocabulary words. Any CALL application to be used in the classroom should be evaluated for its relevance to the learners' needs.
In addition to creating environments where student maximize input and exposure, I plan lessons and activities around the communicative language teaching principles of output and interaction. Students learn from interacting with others and having the opportunity to test their language hypotheses in real time and get real feedback from classmates and from me. I realize that production of language can raise students' affective filters, and I think that CALL applications can provide a suitable mediation here. In some CALL applications (e.g., voice recording software Vocaroo or Voxopop), students can practice producing language and interacting in a safe, low affective environment. Students can work on their own terms and practice when they feel prepared and relaxed. Technology allows me more flexibility as a teacher, and accounts for some individual differences that students may have.
Part of creating a dynamic lesson that includes input/exposure and output/interaction is careful planning and attention to the kind and amount of feedback that students are getting. Attention to planning is important at a curricular level for consistency within a program, especially in terms of assessment. Collaborative technology, such as Google Documents, email, and even Skype can serve teachers well as they work to plan lessons together. Similarly, Learning Management Systems (LMS), such as Blackboard, give teachers and students a second classroom, in some ways. Teachers can post assignments and references for students to access on their own time. LMSs also offer a venue for electronic feedback.The Review and Track changes functions of Microsoft Word are indispensable for writing classes, and may also be useful for other skills. Online, software informed by corpus linguistics (e.g., Compleat Lexical tutor and COCA) can provide students with useful and individualized feedback about their lexical and syntactic choices that would be very time-consuming for me as the teacher.
Language learning principles of input/exposure, output/interaction, as well as feedback and planning guide my planning and teaching. CALL applications are one of many tools that I have to help students build a strong foundation for autonomous learning. I see technology as a growing influence in my field, and I am continually researching and refining my own uses of CALL in the classroom in order to best meet my students' needs and improve my teaching.
Jena K. Lynch
Teachers of English as a Second or Foreign Language have the responsibility to not only help learners develop language skills, but also become independent life-long learners and users of the language. In my teaching philosophy, I acknowledge the difficult task of meeting students' complex needs, and I will show how Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) applications factor into my teaching.
A curriculum is a program-wide educational framework that is agreed upon by teachers and administrators. The curriculum guides lesson planning and decision making day-to-day and in the larger picture. As a teacher, I am a vital part of carrying our the curricular goals, but I am also the vehicle for change, when necessary. Needs analysis, both as a preliminary measure and as an on-going method of data collection, is a critical step in maintaining a dynamic curriculum that is adequately meeting students' needs. This data collection process could be incredibly low-tech, via face-to-face interviews, or, to save time and energy, an application like Google Forms could be used to easily collect and compile student data for teacher review. From this information, I can better serve my students.
As a language teacher, I try to provide as much input and target language exposure as possible. Students need to listen and read the target language to develop an ear for the language. I try to make my physical classroom is rich in text, via word walls, realia (newspaper or magazine clippings), as well as hanging up posters or any relevant images to reinforce our content learning. Input and exposure should always be meaningful for students, and Technology should aid students in accessing meaningful input and exposure. I try to direct students to online resources, such as YouTube videos that are relevant to our course content, and target our key vocabulary words. Any CALL application to be used in the classroom should be evaluated for its relevance to the learners' needs.
In addition to creating environments where student maximize input and exposure, I plan lessons and activities around the communicative language teaching principles of output and interaction. Students learn from interacting with others and having the opportunity to test their language hypotheses in real time and get real feedback from classmates and from me. I realize that production of language can raise students' affective filters, and I think that CALL applications can provide a suitable mediation here. In some CALL applications (e.g., voice recording software Vocaroo or Voxopop), students can practice producing language and interacting in a safe, low affective environment. Students can work on their own terms and practice when they feel prepared and relaxed. Technology allows me more flexibility as a teacher, and accounts for some individual differences that students may have.
Part of creating a dynamic lesson that includes input/exposure and output/interaction is careful planning and attention to the kind and amount of feedback that students are getting. Attention to planning is important at a curricular level for consistency within a program, especially in terms of assessment. Collaborative technology, such as Google Documents, email, and even Skype can serve teachers well as they work to plan lessons together. Similarly, Learning Management Systems (LMS), such as Blackboard, give teachers and students a second classroom, in some ways. Teachers can post assignments and references for students to access on their own time. LMSs also offer a venue for electronic feedback.The Review and Track changes functions of Microsoft Word are indispensable for writing classes, and may also be useful for other skills. Online, software informed by corpus linguistics (e.g., Compleat Lexical tutor and COCA) can provide students with useful and individualized feedback about their lexical and syntactic choices that would be very time-consuming for me as the teacher.
Language learning principles of input/exposure, output/interaction, as well as feedback and planning guide my planning and teaching. CALL applications are one of many tools that I have to help students build a strong foundation for autonomous learning. I see technology as a growing influence in my field, and I am continually researching and refining my own uses of CALL in the classroom in order to best meet my students' needs and improve my teaching.
Monday, February 4, 2013
My Digital Story
My Digital Story
I chose to use Story Bird because Karen recommended it to me. The interface is very intuitive and the results are beautiful. I wanted to make something that I could potentially use with my level 5 Listening/Speaking class. We are working on a business ethics unit right now. My digital story is a springboard for conversation about ethical decision-making that I think will bring up some of the vocabulary and content that we have been discussing.
http://storybird.com/books/a-question-of-ethics/
Here's the activity to accompany the story. I'm thinking that it could work for any skills class, not just L/S.
1. Students have been learning about business ethics in class.
2. During class the teacher goes through the story with students
2. As homework, students reread the digital story and decide how they would fill in the last pages.
4. The following class period, the class discusses how they would fill in the blank pages and vote on a decision.
5. The teacher updates the story.
I chose to use Story Bird because Karen recommended it to me. The interface is very intuitive and the results are beautiful. I wanted to make something that I could potentially use with my level 5 Listening/Speaking class. We are working on a business ethics unit right now. My digital story is a springboard for conversation about ethical decision-making that I think will bring up some of the vocabulary and content that we have been discussing.
http://storybird.com/books/a-question-of-ethics/
Here's the activity to accompany the story. I'm thinking that it could work for any skills class, not just L/S.
1. Students have been learning about business ethics in class.
2. During class the teacher goes through the story with students
2. As homework, students reread the digital story and decide how they would fill in the last pages.
4. The following class period, the class discusses how they would fill in the blank pages and vote on a decision.
5. The teacher updates the story.
Week 4 Reflection
This week we are reading about SLA and CALL, and our homework is to create a digital story. The resounding theme, still, is that "pedagogy, not technology, should be the driving force in CALL use' (DuBravac, 2013, p. 63). On one level, I find this statement very un-comforting because it fails to provide me clear answers about what to use and how to use it. However, I guess it is comforting to realize that I've nearly got this MA-TESL that informs my teaching on a daily basis; so there's no reason that I can't apply those principles to choosing technology.
DuBravac's overview of SLA in chapter 4 would have been an excellent resource for the foundation sections of the Comps (if you haven't taken them yet--this is a message for you).
As for the digital stories--mine's coming soon--I have a question. What's the difference between creating a digital story and using something like PowerPoint? Is it the element of telling a story? Can I present a series of questions in a digital story just for artistic effect?
One idea that I have with digital stories comes from my brother, a middle-schooler. For one of his classes, he wrote and revised a digital story about his father's life, and then had the book printed. Once he was satisfied with the draft, he and his classmates had a book-giving ceremony in which they presented the books to their family members. Everyone loved the ceremony and the book is a keepsake in our house. I think that ESL students would also find value in such an activity. The act of writing, revising and preparing some kind of presentation speech would be a really nice integration of skills. the students would be motivated to do a good job because of who is receiving the final product. Something to think about.
DuBravac's overview of SLA in chapter 4 would have been an excellent resource for the foundation sections of the Comps (if you haven't taken them yet--this is a message for you).
As for the digital stories--mine's coming soon--I have a question. What's the difference between creating a digital story and using something like PowerPoint? Is it the element of telling a story? Can I present a series of questions in a digital story just for artistic effect?
One idea that I have with digital stories comes from my brother, a middle-schooler. For one of his classes, he wrote and revised a digital story about his father's life, and then had the book printed. Once he was satisfied with the draft, he and his classmates had a book-giving ceremony in which they presented the books to their family members. Everyone loved the ceremony and the book is a keepsake in our house. I think that ESL students would also find value in such an activity. The act of writing, revising and preparing some kind of presentation speech would be a really nice integration of skills. the students would be motivated to do a good job because of who is receiving the final product. Something to think about.
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