I sometimes wonder if my old habits die so hard that I am reluctant to explore new communications tools. There is a sense that each new blog that comes out or each chat tool is just more of the same but then each does have specific characteristics that might make them more or less usable and these attributes might be important when making decisions about integration.
Nik Peachey on his excellent blog for language teachers http://nikpeachey.blogspot.com/ linked to this list of blogging tools by Jane Hart for example http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/Directory/Tools/blogging.html Here the basic criteria revolve around cost and download flexibility, but there must be more to it when thinking about learning attributes? Some on this list look intriguing though and I wonder if any of you have experience of any of them (there are other types of tool too if you browse the links).
More interestingly, what tools do you use for regular communications and/or use with learners and why do you go for these given the choice we have? Is it possible to draw up a list of attributes that inform those choices? What distinguishes one synchronous text based chat tool from another? Or WebCT forum from Moodle forum tool:-) Do specific attributes make significant differences to interactions?
19 comments:
am i first? well ... funny you should mention nik peachey's blog cos i was going to recommend it to everyone on the forum after finding out he was running the website fro the exeter IATEFL event ... he used to work for the BC and is well known in this community ... it was thru his blog that i found out about Nvu and wondered if anyone had tried this yet? i will post a link that i found via his site for this and for a list of other tech applications ...
http://nvudev.com/index.php
http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/author.html
cheers
tony
found this simple video on how to set up a wiki space ... thought might be useful
http://www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english
cheers
Thanks Tony. Nik is also a graduate from our Edtech degree:-) In fact the online teacher development webspace started with his dissertation work. He has a very good approach to being quite targeted in his blog entries - and systematic too in his commentaries. You don't feel overwhelmed - a blog to go back to and maybe this is something to think about when setting up blogs for learners too?
On the NVU front, we've been talking about possibly using this instead of Dreamweaver so would also be interested to hear people's experience if anyone has used it.
Diane
Tools I use for regular communication with learners: posts to moodle forums, which I use for each course I teach - both for course administration and for language teaching. I haven't explored/used much beyond this as far as CMC. Blogs/chat are very new to me. I much prefer moodle forum to WebCT message boards, but perhaps mainly because I've only been using moodle for around a year:
Moodle forums are very convenient and user-friendly - when students enrol in the courses they submit an email address - each time I (or students)post to the forum , students receive an email copy. Like Diane said, I find something I like, I stick with it (plus I haven't explored much else - nothing designed to be synchronous anyway). I have experimented with message boards (WebCT) and forums (moodle) as "synchronous" posts I suppose - as introductions to using the tool at the start of courses- post a question related to class discussion on the forum in a class (lab) and then give students 30 mins to discuss on-line, and familiarize themselves with the forum/message board. They usually find it good fun, but I don't generally use the tool this way after the introduction - turns to asynchronous.
Positive attributes: user-friendly ("teachable" - students generally catch on very quickly), flexible (able to attach files, pictures, emoticons, etc), friendly display format (threads, etc), range of options for display/manipulation of the tool. I'm not sure what to say about differences in interactions between WebCT and moodle message boards/forums. I do know that for both, I am often pleasantly surprised at the readability of the student posts, in contrast to some of the other writing they do for me only (not for "public" display). Many factors here at play, which I assume we'll be discussing this unit...
When I first started using these message boards/forums, I suppose I had hoped students would take initiative to post new topics on their own, discuss grammar questions amongst themselves, etc. Not the case - but they are very good at responding when I start a discussion.
--NVU - no experience.
--Went to a wiki workshop at a conference last year - will try to find the link..(haven't visited since, so obviously the wiki session didn't make a strong impression on me)
--Can give classmates guest access to my moodle courses if interested...leave me your email address.
-Jody
Sorry, that's way too long.
(probably a blogger rule-breaker, as is replying to your own comment, likely)
I just opened up a wiki site two weeks ago for the parents of my eldest daughter. There is always a lot of organizing to do as a parent and most of us don't have a lot of time for extra meetings during the week. I took Blair's advice and used "Wetpaint.com". It was really easy to do. The other parents thought it was great although I am still very surprised at the degree of "illiteracy" in the adult community when it comes to using a computer. Still a lot of tecno phobes out there. Added to that, many of them of course complained that the template is in English. I guess what looks so basic to me is actually very difficult for those who have limited English skills. I've managed to have about 10 members sign up and they are all enthusiastic, it seems.... but there are still about 40 parents missing! I do like the fact that in a Wiki we can all enter and edit what we want. I was able to choose if I wanted it to be open to members or to anyone so it has some good features and like I said it was fun to set up. Now I have to wait and see if people really will use it or if we will end up having to duplicate all the information for those who never enter the web. I am actually observing the whole process and motivation level of members with interest because I would like to start wikis or blogs with my students so this is like a test drive. As with Moodle, I am sent a message whenever someone has added anything to the wiki. If any of you know of a Spanish blogger or Wiki, let me know...
Susan
sue ... interesting ... but one question ... aren't the parents of your eldest daughter you and tu marido? hehe!
i am going to try setting up a wiki with my teacher development group ... will let you know what happens ...
I see what you mean! lol
To correct my horribly misleading use of English...the parents of students from my eldest daughter's class; or maybe, the parents of my daughter's class? or my daughter's classmates' parents... I think I've been in Spain for too long!
:-)
Hello all, after finding out that blogger was a 'sensitive site used by dissidents' I have had to resort to using TOR to view the content here :-)
The most useful tools I use are wiki+facebook. Wiki allows me to see who accesses the site, even if they lurk, whilst Facebook creates a very informal platform for communication.
Blogs seem to work well if you are aware of the the most favourite amongst students. Here yahoo 360 is king in Asia and I noticed a remarkable change once I moved from wordpress to 360.
Found this exceptionally useful
http://exelearning.blogspot.com/
found this video on TeacherTube ... Graham from Barcelona ... your neck-of-the-woods Sue ... promotes the use of four technological tools for teachers ... he speaks very clearly
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=7097425b52fc7afbb696
i wondered if anyone might have any opinions/thoughts about what he says ... especially about second life ... i missed the online seminar a few weeks ago as i was working ...
there is some good stuff on this site adaptable for ELT ... i particularly liked this video ... watch without sound first ... what the hell do you think he is doing? ... that's my gist question :-)
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=3d3f4744a12808b20221
i like the idea of TeacherTube too ... the ELT aspect of it is quite small at the moment tho
hmm ... i have just seen that the same video is posted as a useful link on the home page ... weird ... i hadn't noticed until now ...
Watched the video, thought it was very well explained and as you said, he speaks very clearly. I am still trying to figure out which is more interesting from a language learning point of view, a blog or a wiki. Have opened up both with two different groups of people and will see how the whole thing goes and will maybe be able to see which one I see more useful from either a teacher or student's point of view.
Here are a couple of video links that I found useful in considering the use of different CMC media and Web 2.0. Don’t think I’m repeating any that have gone before. Apologies if I am :)
The Machine is Using – a great video describing Web 2.0 visually
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g
On Twittering – article and video (see the right-hand column of the article)
http://chronicle.com/free/v54/i25/25a01501.htm
Tony mentioned Commoncraft on Wikis. That video’s great, and if you look a bit further on that website you’ll see a whole load of other great “plain English” videos on blogging, twittering, social networking, podcasting, RSS etc.
http://www.commoncraft.com/show
I find it useful discussing these kind of videos with students in preparation for using the CMC just to give them an idea what it’s all about.
I definitely agree that blogs are now getting more and more specific characteristics. Take for example http://twitter.com/ which allows for current interactions between it's users. This is very effective for the students for dealing with the present continuous tense. After all, as the link states the idea of twitter relates to the simple question: What are you doing?
I would like to use this with my students as it gives them a real purpose for communicating instead of just answering questions of a fictitious character in a textbook. By all accounts, I also hear that twitter is very addictive too, so this might be an advantage to get students to use it. As you can follow the lives of celebrities etc. I once read that this social interaction tool, along with google maps was once used in a mountain rescue!!
What I like about using CMC with students is that it reduces their anxiety. This is particularly important to my students as saving face is a very important part of their culture. Therefore, any faux pas that is done in front of others as they learn can lead to some embarrassment and also some anxiety. However, as Warschauer (1997) 473 commnets:
"CMC creates the opportunity for a group of people to construct knowledge together, thus linking reflection and interaction. Second, the social dynamics of CMC have proven to be different from those of face to face discussion in regard to turn taking, interruption, balance, equality, consensus, and decision making".
This is also true for us as distance students on the course and actually I feel more suited to this way of studying than I would to being onsite.
I did a quick search to see what people were writing about Twitter and ELT. It's one of those technologies that's grabbed the imagination of the moment, but I'm not sure whether it will have longevity:-) Have to say, however, it seems that teachers are much more aware of harnessing emerging technologies that we might be experimenting with in our daily lives - though can't say they're normalised for all, by any means. I have a Twitter account but haven't really got into frequent postings at all - needs to be a real reason.
found this
Macmillan Campus blogBut also this from Nik Peachey
Plurkand this
Nik 12second video
Hey guys
I'm just checking that I can actually post this before I type any more!
Caroline
yes, reading you loud and clear Caroline:-) One of the downsides of a blog however is knowing whether anyone has posted comments. You can tag the main opening message, but after that need to check everywhere. One strategy as a tutor is to have an alert to an email account but this can only be set up I think if you moderate postings.
Diane
True that attributes of new chat tools make it easier to access and to communicate with other language learners, yet the notion of synchronous stays the same no matter how many technological layers enhance such a mode. If anyone remembers MIRC chat tool where it has the basics of chatting ( local chatting and im) you should remember how it helped language learners to enhance their communication skills. If compared with second life virtual world that is considered the best synchronous "Chat tool" one would see the likeness between the two ( communication through target language) which is the aim of synchronous communication.
Ammar
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