EGBERT Ch. 4. Communication & Collaboration
RICHARDSON Ch. 5. RSS: The New Killer App for Educators
Communication and collaboration are primary, immediate goals in the language classroom! Even with Egbert's broad definition of communication as a sharing of knowledge and collaboration as more of a negotiation of meaning--reaching a shared understanding, one can see the importance of both of these goals in the language class. All language learning has some form of communication as its goal, at least in my experience. Even if we want to learn a language solely to read, there is a sharing of knowledge, from writer to reader, that is taking place, and likewise the reader must use his or her own knowledge to simply understand or give importance to what he or she is reading.
Egbert gives us several ideas, perhaps most interestingly the ways to manage and plan for the various types of computer set-ups in the classroom, particularly in the one-computer classroom. I like the idea he proposes here of using the single computer as a sort of catalyst for more in-depth face-to-face interaction. I also like the idea of having the students research their own neighborhood and map out local businesses to plan their own field trip! That sounds really great.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Joleen,
Your comments are helpful and stimulating, as always. I like the idea of a one-computer environment, as learning can be made more efficient, and not as much meandering away from the material at hand will take place.
The field trip via computer to stake out the territory can also take place with mapquest or google earth.
Carol
That is a great picture on your intro!
Hi Joleen,
Thanks so much for your kind words about the Photostory. I just sat down one Saturday morning and had fun--all thanks to Dr. Wright and Lizardo, who showed us how.
I did post the Voiceprint page of pronunciation tutoring to the folder that Dr. W. set up for us. I will send you a mail with the Voiceprint as an attachment; please send me your email.
Thanks so much for not only providing us with the enlightment of your diverse teaching experience, but also for practicing what you preach. You are a great and motivating communicator!
Carol
Post a Comment