Week 10: Wrap-up

This last reflective blog is not easy post. There are many mixed feeling inside me. I am happy because I achieved a personal objective in my professional career but I feel sad at the same time since this course is ending. My eyes are wet and I feel a pressure in my throat. I cannot understand why if I had not seen you personally, dear classmates and Courtney, I feel like crying. 

We have spent many weeks together and we have learned a lot. So, I will try to summarize what we learned week by week in the course “Building Teacher Skills through the Interactive Web” imparted by our special instructor, Courtney Cunningham:

Week 1: During the first week, course participants introduce themselves on Nicenet,  a tool for running educational programs. As well, we read and discussed about the course ground rules and rubrics for evaluating. We also learned how to create a reflective blog through observing previous participants ‘reflective blogs. Additionally, we posted a comment on at least one of our classmates’ blog.

Week 2: The course focused on discussing about web searching. Besides, we learned to create class objectives using the ABCD model for behavioral objectives.  The fist task of our project report was also digitally delivered on Nicenet. In this first task, the course participants analyzed and described the students of their courses. Finally, a new submission of our reflective blog was posted by narrating what we had learned during the week and also posted on someone else’s blog.

Week 3: The third week was extremely interesting since we analyzed and discussed websites for teaching listening and speaking making references to our classmates’ comments. In the same way, after reading about bookmarking and delicious, we created a “delicious” site where we posted interesting links to share with others. We analyzed a past project report and discussed it. At last, we posted our weekly reflecting blog, stating what we learned this particular week. Besides, a comment was posted in at least one of our partners’ blog.

Week 4: We analyzed and discussed websites for teaching reading and writing making reference to at least one of our peers’ remarks. Furthermore, it was created a technology-enhanced lesson plan and explained how it is similar to or different from the regular lesson plan format. A reflection about one of our courses and how technology would benefit our classes was the project task to be accomplished during week four. Lastly, we made comments on another participants’ reflective blog and created a new entry on our own one.

Week 5: This is one of the most interesting course weeks for me. During this week, a discussion on Project-based learning and webquest was raised. After reading about rubrics, we created our own rubric in “Rubistar”. Also, the fourth task of this course consisted in describing a technology possible change for the chosen course.  An extra credit task was offered by our instructor to improve our grades. So I decided to design a webquest that I had to re-post in the course wiki a week later because the original one expired. To finish, as in any other week, we posted the corresponding reflection on our blogs and commented on someone else’s blog.

Week 6: My other favorite week was week six. After reading the suggested material, we discussed about techniques to implement in our classes in order to create a student-centered language context. An interactive PowerPoint presentation was designed and shared in the course wiki by each course participant, too. The fourth task of the course was to begin using a technology change in our classes and to start keeping records of this implementation. Finally, a new version of our reflective blogs was posted, describing what we had learned during the week and also posted one of our partners’ blog. 

Week 7: Another special course week was week seven. During this week, we read about learner autonomy. We reflected about this topic and suggested ways to enhance learner autonomy in the language classroom. Then, I posted two articles and a video about learner autonomy on the “Wallwisher” that was placed on our course wiki. We kept track of the progress on the technology change implemented in one of our courses. As in any other week, we shared a new reflection on our blogs about what we did during the week and posted a comment on a peer’s blog.

Week 8: After reading and analyzing the provided websites, we discussed about the use of these resources in our classes. Exploring these sites allowed us to decide what online tool to use in order to create an activity or site. In my case, I created a wiki for one of my courses. We also submitted our first project report draft and posted it on the course wiki. Two of my partners, Ina and Raj, gave me feedback about this draft and I gave them my feedback on their drafts on week 9. To finish week eight, we made comments on another participants’ reflective blog and created a new entry on our own one. 

Week 9: This was the penultimate week of the course. After reading about learning styles and technology tools for multiple intelligences, we shared an example of how to use technology to address different learning styles in one of our classes. In addition, we created and submitted the final version of our project report and posted our penultimate blog entry, reflecting on what we accomplished on week nine. We also commented on someone else’s blog.

Week 10: It was the wrap-up of the course. We had to give suggestions to future course participants. We took a LoTI survey and described my LoTI level in one post on Nicenet. To conclude, I had to write this reflection that you may be reading and commented on a partners’ blog.

I will  miss you a lot, dear classmates and Courtney!!! I wish you all a Merry Christmas! God bless you!

Mary

Week 9: Learning Styles - Technology Connections

Ninth week!

Reflecting about week 9 brings about a series of feelings. We are about to end what it originally was an interesting learning experience. After nine weeks, Building Teacher Skills through the Interactive Web has become an essential issue, a part of my routine, a contact with another world. Today, I feel that I miss it before it ends. 

This week's discussion dealt with learning styles and how they may be enhanced through using technology in the language classroom. Several reading materials were suggested to be discussed and reflect about the use of technology to enhance learning styles.

Howard Gardner, who carried out psychology researches on intelligence acquisition, first mentioned the term “Multiple Intelligences” in 1983 in his book "Frame of Mind" as pointed out in the article "Technology and Multiple Intelligences" and “How Technology Enhances Howard Gardner's Eight Intelligences”. The following video shows Gardner talking about multiple intelligences: 

Howard Gardner on Multiple Intelligences

Gardner distinguishes 9 types of intelligences nowadays:

1. Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence (individuals learn easily through speaking, listening, reading or writing)

2.    Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (individuals may learn through reasoning, problem solving and numbers)

3.  Kinesthetic Intelligence (individuals learn by making physical exercises, movements)

4.    Visual-Spatial Intelligence (individuals tend to learn by visually delimiting the space)

5. Musical Intelligence (individuals learn by hearing or producing sounds)

6. Interpersonal Intelligence (individuals seem to learn by discussing, working in groups or cooperatively)

7. Intrapersonal Intelligence (individuals learn working in isolation or by reflecting on their emotions and feelings)

8. Naturalist Intelligence (individuals are likely to learn through their contact with nature)

9. Existentialist Intelligence (individuals learn through their philosophical reflections about the human beings’ existence)

These different types of intelligences are defined in the following video: 

Multiple Intelligences

Through the article "Technology and Multiple Intelligences", citing Gardner's words, I learned that by identifying learners' strengths and weaknesses, teachers could re-design their classes by integrating multiple intelligences in order to cover different learning styles in the same class. This fact could help teachers facilitate their students' learning process. We can suggest our students to identify their learning style by taking the following survey http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-learning-styles-quiz Through the article "Technology and Multiple Intelligences", I learned that by identifying learners' strengths and weaknesses, teachers could re-design their classes by integrating multiple intelligences in order to cover different learning styles in the same class. This fact could help teachers facilitate their students' learning process. We can suggest our students to identify their learning style by taking the following survey What´s your learning style? After determining our students' learning style, we can incorporate exercises that foster different learning styles. Such exercises should vary class by class, lesson by lesson. It may help learners improve their performance in the language classroom.

Finally, the main assignment that we had this week was the final project report, which  was submitted on Friday 30th. This report was the accomplishment of many weeks of intense work. It is divided into 5 parts: background, issue or problem that started your project, initial solution and expected response, response and reflection, changes made or planned, conclusion and resources.This final report was polished with the feedback given by our partners on week 8. In my case, I thank Raj and Ina again for their invaluable cooperation that allow me to improve my final version.

In conclusion, discussion on learning styles and final report project gave shape to this ninth week full of sad feelings and, at the same time, a sense of joy because of the almost accomplished goal. 

Warm regards, dear peers and Courtney!

Mary