Week 10 - Sharing a Piece of Advice

While there were many ideas to be gleaned from the WebSkills course, perhaps one of the most important ideas that can form a piece of advice is the notion that we should not let technology lead our teaching. We need to remember that good teaching, grounded in a fundamental understanding of learning and an appreciation for pedagogical principals, should guide our use of technology. I believe that technophiles who have a strong working knowledge of pedagogy can be a great asset to a school. However, technophiles who only know technology, and have no appreciation for pedagogy, can be extremely dangerous. As teachers, we have to remember that learning is our focus. Although modern technology can offer incredible educational opportunities, it is imperative that we not allow technology to overshadow the learning process. Digital technologies do not replace teachers in the classroom, they simple represent tools that help teachers address issues and achieve specific goals.

I have written elsewhere that we need to keep pace with the development of technological tools while staying focused on how these resources might be applied to educational contexts to support best pedagogical practices. As the members of this WebSkills course endeavor to share the ideas learned in this course with their colleagues, I recommend that they frame their lessons within a discussion about pedagogy. Although we accumulated some great online tools in this course, we want to avoid simply "throwing" these resources at our colleagues! We need to provide appropriate pedagogical context in order to ensure these great resources will be used judiciously. Technology integration is not about using technology for the sake of using technology, rather it is about applying technology purposefully and appropriately to achieve educational objectives.

Instead of promoting "technophile discourses" that include talk of education, we need to promote "educational discourses" that include talk of technology. I think we can successfully achieve the latter, as we did in the WebSkills course, by discussing technology within an educational context framed by topics such as learning objectives, reflections, learner autonomy, interaction, project-based learning, and student-centered classrooms. A solid understanding of these topics is what will ensure that discussions pertaining to technology integration are successful. Such discussions will convey and foster fundamental understandings that are essential to the seamless, meaningful, and pedagogically sound integration of technology.

Week 9 - My Thoughts on the Relationship Between Learning Styles and Technology, and some General Reflections on the WebSkills Course

Although schools have always been populated by unique learners with unique needs, this uniqueness has not always been fully embraced. Despite repeated calls for more "progressive" approaches, traditional teaching methods that tend to focus on the "stand and deliver" model have typically endured. Consequently, schooling in general has not been truly inclusive. The students with learning styles and cognitive competencies that do not fit with the prevailing teaching styles have, in a sense, been marginalized. In other words, classrooms have not been addressing the unique diversity of students' learning styles.

This week's readings and discussions conveyed the notion that modern technology can help teachers reach a range of learning styles and cognitive competencies in the classroom. The consensus seems to be that technology holds promise for for helping teachers address the diverse needs of students. However, it has to be stressed that the presence of technology in classrooms is itself certainly not a magic bullet or educational panacea. How the technology is used is what counts! Teachers now have powerful tools that can help them work with information in ways that can reach more learning styles. The trick is ensuring that teachers know how to use these new tools effectively. In the absence of guidance, some teachers might use new technology to simply reinforce their traditional teaching practices. In doing so, they will fail to honor the unique learning styles of many of their students.

As I mentioned in my discussion posting this week, I think it is the "multimedia" rich features of modern computer technology that makes it potentially valuable for addressing multiple learning modalities. Teachers now have tools that allow them to integrate elements of text, audio, images, animations, and video into their lessons in innovative and creative ways. As we have learned in our WebSkills course, digital technology also broadens the range of opportunities for engaging students in project-based learning opportunities. Teaching and learning that employs digital technology does not have to be confined to any one learning style, rather it can embrace multiple learning styles (sometimes simultaneously). In a way, information technology can be thought of as a bridge or potential link between the curriculum and diverse learners. If employing technology effectively, a teacher can "cast a web" of instruction that captures the interests and imaginations of a wide variety of learners.

By casting such a web, we can bring all learners together under the same umbrella of classroom learning. If we approach a concept or topic from several viewpoints (or ways of understanding it), we not only reach more students, we also enrich the learning experience for all students. In effect, we take a more holistic approach to teaching that embraces whole-brain learning. The idea behind such learning is that it is best for instruction to emphasize a broad range of cognitive capabilities, rather than focus on a narrow range. When we employ this kind of teaching within the context of a collaborative and project-based environment, we create conditions where students can learn from each other's diverse learning styles -- we create a learning environment where everybody has something to offer! In this type of holistic teaching and learning setting, each students' unique learning modalities are not only considered personal gifts, but can be thought of as gifts to the group as a whole.

I think digital technologies, with their propensity for facilitating multimedia-oriented and interactive activities, are tools that can be leveraged by teachers to create learning experiences that are rich in perspective and form. When used to their full advantage, digital technologies can help teachers create learning situations and experiences that are likely to resonate with a broad range of cognitive capabilities and a broad range of learners. The World Wide Web offers a countess number of versatile tools that when used by creative, enthusiastic, innovative, and knowledgeable teachers can result in the creation of valuable experiences for all students.

This week's discussion was timely, as it encouraged me think about my Project Plan in yet another light. As I worked to complete my plan this week, I was reminded that within the new group of six ESL students that I will have this fall, there will likely be six unique learning styles! However, I think the project-based nature of my proposed "avatar presentation project" mitigates the risk of any one particular learning style will be marginalized. Although I will provide a detailed framework for the project, my students will have considerable flexibility within that framework to capitalize on their own individual strengths. Furthermore, since we will develop a rubric together at the outset of the project, it can take into consideration the multiple ways the students might want to express their knowledge and their learning progress. Having students contribute to the planning of their activities means that their individual learning modalities are embedded within the activities!

As I reflect on the above ideas, I feel like I am starting to construct a unified understanding of the various topics we have discussed during our course. The challenge will be integrating what I have learned into my own teaching -- as well as conveying central ideas to my teaching colleagues. The "trick" to meeting this challenge I have come to realize is approaching integration one step at a time! The technology itself can be overwhelming and distracting, so discussions need to revolve around pedagogy. Once central ideas around teaching and learning are established, it is easier to look at the application of technology to those ideas. That being said, the world of technology continues to evolve, with new tools and resources "going online" everyday. I will do my best to keep pace with those developments, while staying focused on how they might be applied to educational contexts to support best pedagogical practices. I suspect that one of the best ways to continue learning about the application of computer technology to language instruction is to keep in touch with my WebSkills classmates! It is nice to know that I have a team of wise practitioners at my fingertips. Perhaps some of the public blogs and personal emails will continue into the future, allowing us to continue to learn from each other well after the course has ended!

Week 8 - Exploring Teacher Resources Online

It seems that there are countless online tools and exercises that can be used for enhancing teaching and learning. However, as one would expect, given the vast number of resources, the functionality, quality and utility of online tools can vary greatly. This week, after exploring just some of the many different tools available and taking into consideration the discussion postings of my classmates, I have arrived at some important realizations and understandings. Those realizations and understandings form the basis of this blog.

Although many tools and exercises have the potential to enhance student learning, it is important to remember is that no tool can itself enhance learning and promote student autonomy. The "educational" outcome of any tool is ultimately dependant on how that tool is used. Thus, the educational value or utility of an resource must be thought of as context specific. The role of the teacher is to understand context of teaching and learning. When choosing an online tool or exercise, a teacher needs to start by thinking about the details of their teaching and learning situation. A thoughtful teacher will first think about goals and outcomes, then select the most appropriate tool for that purpose.

I stated in one of my posts this week that perhaps one of the most important question we need to ask when we consider the potential value of an online resource is "How could using this tool promote learner autonomy?" As educators, we need to stay focused on developing student autonomy in learning. We should aim to make learning a meaningful part of the lives of our students. In other words, we need to teach for learner autonomy. This means we need to use online resources in ways that will promote autonomy among our students. The educational utility of online tools and exercises for promoting learner autonomy will ultimately depend on the specific use made of them. As we learned earlier in the course, learning activities that promote autonomy are generally meaningful to students, provide problems to solve, and have some connection to the real-world. The implication here being that if online resources can help create opportunities for project-based learning, then they are potentially helpful with regards to promoting learner autonomy.

As I mention in my blog comment to Bella this week, the number of resources on the web that we can potentially familiarize ourselves with is truly astounding - to the point where it can be overwhelming! Under the umbrella of "educational resources" we have Web-based resources that are made specifically for educational applications as well as social tools that can be adapted for educational purposes. Teachers need to look at these tools with a discerning eye - exactly what Deborah asked us to do this week! It is the role of the teacher to ensure educational objectives are being pursued when using these tools. This starts with a solid understanding of effective pedagogy, student needs, learner autonomy, interaction, active learning, and project-based learning.

I spent a great deal of time thinking about the above concepts this week, particularly learner autonomy, as I worked on the first draft of my project plan. As I developed the technology-based solution (and consulted the online resources that would enable it), I was sure to do so with the notion of learner autonomy in mind. Along with learner autonomy I had to take into consideration the unique needs of my students. That being said, I realize that planning to meet objectives is one thing, and the achievement of objectives is another. Following methods of action research, I plan to monitor the implementation of my project closely such that I can adjust my plan where necessary. Although the technology is exciting, I don't want to let it dictate my approach to teaching, rather I want my teaching to dictate my approach to technology!

Week 7 - Some Thoughts on Learner Autonomy and the One-Computer Classroom

This was a busy week for me. I have been working on the course from Cambridge, England where I was participating in a social sciences conference. This tranquil setting provided the perfect backdrop to think about some of the ideas we have been discussing in our course!

Given the interdisciplinary nature of the conference, I had an opportunity to listen to many diverse presentations during the week. Despite the wonderful diversity in research topics, there was one important commonality - behind each presentation there was a self-directed learner who was passionate about exploring ideas through sustained inquiry! In this way, almost all research activity can be conceptualized as being project-based or inquiry-based learning! I think what interests me the most about academic research is that it is conducted by people who are generally motivated by problems that are authentic and meaningful to them. They "ask questions" and "explore" as a means of coming to new understandings and even new questions. It seems to me that in academia, learner autonomy is valued and respected. People in academia are encouraged to perform at the highest level of Bloom's Taxonomy. Consequently, it is a place where we often see new, creative, and thought-provoking ideas. Academic researchers seek to recognize gaps in their knowledge so that they can take steps to fill those gaps.

The point I'm trying to make is that learner autonomy should not just be confined to people in graduate school or academia. Greater autonomy should be encouraged at all levels, and in all segments, of education. Language education, particularly for young learners, should be no exception. We need to encourage greater autonomy at the early stages so that all people have an opportunity to become effective self-directed learners from a young age. Because only limited time can be dedicated to focussed language instruction at school, autonomous and self-directed learning is particularly important for second language learners. In order to become proficient in the second language, learners need to recognize gaps in their own capabilities and take the necessary steps to fill those gaps. The process of learning a language will continue beyond the formal educational process. Thus, it is important for teachers to help students not only develop fundamental language skills, but also foster the skills required to be self-directed lifelong learners.

As I see it, the process of encouraging self-directed learning among students needs to be present in all language teaching. As we have discussed this week, computer-assisted language learning represents a promising way of helping foster self-directed learning. However, in order for that to happen, teachers need to be aware of how to use the technology effectively within a framework of sound pedagogical practice. Even in one-computer classes, the technology can be used effectively to support teaching and learning. Through the use of the one computer at a "learning station" students can experience the value technology can have for supporting inquiry-based learning. Furthermore, teachers can augment and enhance whole-class lessons and discussions by incorporating interactive elements made possible by computers and the Web.

I have started thinking that perhaps a Professional Development (PD) session for teachers at my school on the topic of autonomous and self-directed learning may be warranted. In fact, as a result of this week's readings and discussions, I have been thinking that such a session should probably precede any of the "technology-focused" PD sessions that I have planned. Although the technology-focused sessions are usually popular among teachers, I find that the technology itself can sometimes obscure the true objectives around student learning. Thus, I think a PD session on self-directed learning is probably a good way to start a series of sessions on integrating technology. This will hopefully help establish a guiding framework for future discussions around technology and language learning. I aim to have such a framework (a perspective that stresses the importance of developing self-directed learning skills) inform my work as I continue to develop my project plan.

Week 6 - Contemplating Issues related to Student-Centered Large Classes, Interactive PowerPoints, and my Technology-Inspired Project Plan

"Another great week of learning!" is how I can characterize Week 6 of the WebSkills course. In my opinion the two primary topics of discussion, Large Classes and PowerPoint, complimented each other exceptionally well. As class sizes get larger, I think the tendency can sometimes be for teachers to move toward a teacher-directed approach where information is "delivered" to the students. In such a setting, PowerPoint can end up being used as a tool for presenting information and concepts to students, but not actually engaging them in the information and concepts. This is problematic, as it diminishes the quality of educational experiences being produced. Thus, the quality of an educational environment does not necessarily degrade when the number of students is going up, but it does degrade if a teacher decides to stop creating an environment of interaction.

Undoubtedly larger class sizes present challenges for interaction, but they also produce opportunities! As was discussed in my previous blog about Project-Based Learning (PBL), the key to successful language classrooms is engagement and interaction. It is essential (especially in a large class where the tendency is for the teacher to dominate the discussion) that the principles of PBL prevail. This means that the development and delivery of PowerPoint presentations needs to be informed by the notion of "student engagement through interaction." After reading this week's material and developing an interactive PowerPoint myself, I have become convinced that it is possible for all teachers to design and implement PowerPoint presentations that facilitate student engagement in learning. Using the power of interactivity, we can structure digital presentations such that they involve students in PBL environments and provide guidance toward higher levels cognitive thinking. ConcepTests, QuickWrite activities, hyperlinks/jumps, student responses, blank slides, trivia games, and interactive stories are just some of the many practical ideas that can help us achieve the goal of interactivity.

The aforementioned ideas, along with ideas and concepts gleaned from previous weeks, continue to assist me as I refine my final project plans. My Delicious.com page has started to become a repository of ideas - an accumulation of links to great digital resources that will help make my technology-inspired change a reality! I am most excited about planning and implementing a digital avatar presentation project. This week I have been locating and reading literature that supports the notion that digital avatars might be helpful for language learning. I want to have a good understanding of this emerging area of research. Furthermore, I have been busy locating and evaluating online tools that will allow students to build avatars in a safe and user friendly environment. A central component of my planning has been designing an initial rubric that will clearly reflect the desired outcomes and expectations of the activity. This rubric will be open to revision once it is introduced to the students, but I want to make sure that I have a basic framework to work from. By developing a basic framework I can ensure that that my technology-inspired change works towards specific curriculum objectives and ESL benchmark objectives established by my school district. There are many factors to consider as I work through the planning stages! I realize that my technology-inspired change is not just about implementing one activity, it is about a change in teaching style and approach. That being said, I'm already thinking about follow-up activities for my avatar project. During and after the avatar presentations there will be many questions and answers, which means there will be dialog, communication and interaction! This excites me, so I'm thinking of ways to capitalize on these rich learning opportunities to further the objective of language development.

Stephen

Week 5 - Some Reflective Musings on Project-Based Learning, WebQuests, and Rubrics

This week's readings and discussions have prompted me to consider my past, present, and future experiences as a teacher. The result has been some musings that revolve around concepts and ideas associated with Project-Based Learning, WebQuests, and Rubrics.

As a general rule, the K-6 students that I work with are very inquisitive. Thus, I'm confident that they will respond positively to a project-based learning (PBL) environment. My students are curious about the world around them and are constantly trying to understand how things work. Based on my experience observing children, I agree with John Dewey that children are natural learners who possess the "instinct of investigation." Providing that I do my best (in my role as teacher) to facilitate, assist in, and create a place for investigation, PBL will work with my students. I have come to the realization that if I create an investigation-supportive environment, I will also be creating an autonomy-supportive environment. This environment will be characterized by respect for all members of the class and respect for student choice. Given the high levels of intrinsic motivation that already exists among my students, I think PBL is a natural fit that has the potential for increasing learning autonomy. Because my students are fascinated by digital tools and generally technology-savvy, pursuing PBL that incorporates technology seems like a good instructional avenue to take. Providing that I plan and "scaffold" appropriate learning opportunities, my students should gain and exercise increasing levels of control over their own learning. Because we don’t stay with our students forever, the key is providing them with the skills they need as they move forward as lifelong learners. The skills of critical inquiry, problem-solving, and decision-making that are formed when engaging in PBL activities are precisely the competencies that are needed in the world outside of school. We don’t want our students to stop learning when the transition out of formal schooling. Accordingly, we need to prepare them with the habits of mind and skills conducive to self-directed learning.

Reading and thinking about PBL has prompted me to reflect on my experience teaching young learners of English in Asia about 5 years ago. During that time, I worked at a school that operated on an "Educating the Whole Child" philosophy. Education of the "whole child" involved encouraging exploration. As a teacher, my role was to ensure a stimulating and supportive English-immersion environment where students could explore the English language while being healthy, safe, engaged, and intellectually challenged. The idea was that students would develop a better command of English in a “progressive” environment of authentic immersion and exploration than in a “traditional” environment of drill and practice. From my perspective, this progressive approach was very successful. Instructional time that took the form of play and inquiry resulted in situations that were rich with opportunities for language learning.

As I pursue PBL initiatives with my new students, I need to remind myself of the important lessons my I have learned about freedom of choice, exploration, and play in language learning. Although it would be easy to default to only using a teacher-directed instructional approach to “covering” curriculum content, this would not be the best approach for student learning. I realize that I need to find ways to have my students “explore” and “investigate” the curriculum while building English language competencies. Given my access computer technology in my current teaching role, WebQuests represent an interesting avenue for exploring key concepts and building language skills. As mentioned above, because my students are interested in and capable of using computer technology, WebQuests seem to be a particularly appropriate technique. WebQuests represent a great way to plan project-based activities that meet the needs of a particular group and target specific learning objectives. For example, the WebQuest that I created this week focuses on building vocabulary skills that will support reading compression for a novel that all students (in my school) read in Grade 4. The intent is to help ESL students learn some key vocabulary through a Web-based and problem-based creative activity. At the current time I just have one introductory WebQuest, but eventually I could have a WebQuest for each chapter! The Public URL for this WebQuest is http://www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=66567. I'm realizing that WebQuests can be very powerful if they include Web resources and tasks that scaffold learning such that students gain and exercise increasing levels of autonomy over their own learning. In addition to building my own WebQuest, I have also started compiling future WebQuest ideas on my Delicious page!

This week’s readings and discussions also served as a reminder that incorporating PBL into instruction is not enough to create an technology-rich environment that is educative. In order to be successful, PBL needs to be accompanied by clear expectations and feedback. Because they can serve both of these functions, rubrics are a tool that might be particularly useful in this regard. Well constructed rubrics can capture and convey complex and subjective learning criteria. A good rubric will serve as a tool for informing students of learning expectations and also as a tool for assessing learning outcomes. Given that authentic learning activities will emerge within PBL environments, it stands to reason that assessment tools that are subjective in nature will be necessary. It is important to add that in a true progressive, student-directed, and PBL environment, students would likely have the opportunity to contribute to the identification of performance criteria for projects. Accordingly, students might play a role in the construction of rubrics. In fact, constructing an assessment rubric with students might form one of the first phases of a technology-based PBL activity. It is important that the learning expectations and assessment guidelines are established before the exploration begins!

Week 4 – Some thoughts on skill-building, technology-enhanced lesson plans, and classroom issues that technology might help with.

Like the first three weeks of the course, the forth week four was filled with informative readings, interesting posts, and thoughtful online discussion. After starting the week by reading Krajka’s (2000) article titled “Using the Internet in ESL Writing Instruction,” I was truly excited about exploring the different ways to use CALL in writing. Over the course of the week I became convinced that “with the help of selected websites or other on-line techniques, writing instruction can be made more interesting, appealing, motivating and authentic” (Krajka, para 2, 2000). The impressive reading/vocabulary and multi-skill websites suggested by Deborah served to reinforce the notion that the Web has the potential to help with all areas of language learning and teaching. However, the readings and discussions about technology-enhanced lesson planning prompted me to engage in further and deeper reflection on the true utility and value of the language activities found on the Web. I could not help but to think that many of these activities can only be as good as the lesson plans they might be included in. It is a well-constructed lesson plan that can give focus, direction and purpose to an online language activity. When teachers create lesson plans they select and organize online activities based on the specific objectives they wish to achieve.

Like learning objectives, teacher-related and student-oriented classroom issues, can sometimes be addressed with technology-inspired solutions. This week’s project task prompted me to start thinking about some issues in my class that technology might help with. I thought it was particularly appropriate that we were told not to think about solutions this week, but rather just about issues. It seems logical that we should start with identifying problems or issues prior to looking for technology-inspired interventions. It simply does not make sense to try to integrate a specific technology without first having a learning objective, issue, or problem that needs to be address. This is to say that technology integration should be purposeful! Now that I have several issues identified, I look forward to exploring possible ways technology might help. I’m already thinking about virtual (Web-based) field trips as a potentially viable solution to the issue of not being able to do off-site activities.


Reference:
Krajka, J. (2000). Using the Internet in ESL Writing Instruction. The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VI, No. 11, November 2000
. Retrieved from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Krajka-WritingUsingNet.html

Week 3 - Using Social Bookmarking, Thinking about Aural/Oral Skill-Building, and Exploring Helpful Websites

The readings, postings, and suggested websites in our "Web Skills" course provided a great deal of food for thought this week. Like many others in the course, I have embraced the practice of social bookmarking after being introduced to Delicious.com. Delicious.com. The practice of saving bookmarks to a public web site and 'tagging' them with keywords has many benefits. First and foremost, social bookmarking allows me to access my bookmarks in an easy and efficient way regardless of where I am located or what computer I happen to be using! Being able to share my bookmarks with friends and colleagues represents another benefit. I can now share my social bookmarking URL and allow my friends to follow my updates on a voluntarily basis. I'm really enjoying visiting the Delicious.com sites that my fellow class members have created. I feel like I have a team of people helping me locate fantastic teaching and learning resources! When my teaching duties resume in the Fall I will be eager to make use of these great sites.

In addition to the course readings that were provided this week, many of my colleagues have been reviewing and recommending websites for aural/oral skill-building. I'm finding the published information on this topic area to be very interesting and I'm starting to get very excited about the opportunities that exist for using computer technology to expand and reinforce aural/oral skills. In particular, I have been thinking about how I might be able to incorporate web-based audio recording tools as a means of enhancing speaking competencies. I ended up spending a considerable amount of time this week exploring Larry Ferlazzo's list of The Best Sites To Practice Speaking English. Although I found Larry's reviews and recommendations to be very helpful, I realized that not all of the sites he lists are suited to my students. It is essential that I evaluate resources with an eye to what would work for my own class and students. Reading about how my colleagues think they might apply specific website tools to their specific teaching contexts has served as a reminder that what works for some classes might not necessarily work for others. Technology integration always needs to be appropriate for student age, appropriate for language level, and aligned with learning outcomes.

On a more general note, I feel that the "Web Skills" course is itself modelling good technology integration. From my perspective, the productive dialogue that has been taking place within Nicenet.org, on our blogs, and in personal communication is a clear indication that a community of online learners as emerged. I'm enjoying being part of this community where rich ideas, thoughtful reflections, and high-quality resources are shared regularly.

Regards,
Stephen

Week 2 - Thinking about Web Searching, Class Needs, and Learning Objectives

This was an eventful week in the “Web Skills” course. Our discussions have focused around three main areas: (1) conducting effective web searching, (2) describing the needs of a particular class that we teach, and (3) developing learning objectives using the ABCD model. In this blog I reflect on what I have learned in these areas and attempt to elucidate some of my insights:

(1) Conducting Effective Web Searching
The American poet E.E. Cummings (1894-1962) once said “Always the beautiful answer who asks a more beautiful question.” Re-worded, this quote reads, “The most beautiful questions always get the most beautiful answers.” Even more simply put, “good questions get good answers.” It has been my experience that the deepest, best-constructed, and most thought-over questions always elicit the most rewarding answers. After this week’s discussion, I can’t help but to think that this notion also rings true for the queries we submit to search engines on the Web. I have become convinced that there is a correlation between the amount of thought we put into executing queries on appropriate search engines and the output we ultimately get from those queries. This is to say that good search queries on well-selected search engines get good search hits! Perhaps we can “digitize” Cummings notion by saying "always the beautiful search hit who asks a more beautiful web search query."

(2) Describing the Needs of a Class
I spent considerable time this week thinking about a class that would benefit from making a technology-inspired change. Through the process of describing my students, the current class setting, and the tools available, I started to recognize "windows of opportunity" where technology could be integrated into teaching and learning. Reading about the classes my course collogues have has also been thought provoking and professionally informative. My personal plan is still in its infancy, but I’m starting to generate some initial ideas for technology-inspired changes that I can make to the way I teach vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension skills. I have started to consult the academic literature on this topic and am starting to learn about what has been successful in other "action research" projects with similar classes. I’m realizing that it is very important to think critically about the nature of my class and their needs before I start designing a technology-inspired change. It is essential that my instructional interventions align with the needs of my students.

(3) Developing Learning Objectives using
Developing clear and concise learning objectives is at the heart of ensuring that my instructional approach matches my desired outcomes. Knowing my class is not enough; I need to make an explicit plan that will achieve explicit outcomes. When achieved, those outcomes are indicators that the needs of my students are being met. This week’s readings and task have introduced me to the ABCD model of objective planning. According to this model, objectives should include four distinct components: Audience, Behavior, Condition and Degree. The process of writing objectives in accordance this model has served as a reminder that explicit objectives are a vital part of instructional design because they provide the roadmap for meeting student needs. Through dialogue with my course collogues I have come to see “ABCD Learning Objectives” as sharing important similarities and differences with “SMART goals” that are currently used at my school. SMART goals are objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-based, and Time-bound. Although ABCD learning objects explicitly state the degree to which a behavior should be achieved, they do not necessary state a timeframe for completion. I have asked my colleagues to comment on this observation, and I eagerly await their responses.

In closing, it is important to note that the process of reading and writing blogs itself continues to be a helpful activity. Reflecting on the week has helped me review and synthesize key elements from this week’s varied discussions. I look forward to reading the thoughts of my fellow bloggers.

Week 1 - Thinking about Blogging

After considering the ideas presented this week, I am starting to appreciate why blogging is becoming increasingly popular as a tool for language learning. Blogging can help to enhance several skills that are instrumental to the development of language competencies: Reading, Writing, Analysing, Reflecting, and Collaboration. Although there is a multitude of other ways for developing these skills, blogging represents a comprehensive approach that has the added benefit of resonating with distributed communities of technology-savvy 21st Century learners.

I find it very appropriate that our discussion about blogging happened immediately following our discussion about the importance of establishing clear guidelines for online learners. Although blogging is in many ways a self-directed activity, it seems to me that students communicating on a blog need clear direction (and frequent monitoring) from a teacher. Blogging assignments need to be accompanied by clear procedures and guidelines to ensure that they are aligned with learning objectives and are working toward fostering healthy learning communities. It is in this way that blogs, along with other e-learning tools (like email, asynchronous chat, and course management systems), can be leveraged by educators to promote and cultivate fundamental information literacy skills among students. Blogs open new doors for sharing and accessing information from around the globe. They provide new interaction and learning opportunities that extend out to wider learning communities. Anyone with access to the Internet can find, read and contribute to a blog. Because blogs are public by nature, it becomes essential that students develop fundamental information literacy skills (which includes forming key understandings around personal privacy). Establishing guidelines and rules with students provides a good starting place for developing "digital awareness" among students.

At this point, I’m thinking the best feature of blogs might be the archiving aspect. In a way, blogging is an enhanced version of traditional journaling – well known as an effective learning tool. Blogging, like journaling, allows students (and their teachers) to track learning over time. The advantage of blogging over traditional journaling stems from the distributed nature of blogs:
(1) Teacher and students do not have to be in the same place.
(2) Blogs are interactive in the sense that others can contribute.
(3) Blogs are portable and can be accessed anywhere there is an Internet connection.
(4) Blogs reach a wider audience (more expansive community of learners).

I will continue to reflect on the potential value of blogging as I use this technique in my own learning and professional development!