Week 1. Reflections.
I have just started my 10 weeks' journey to WonderWEB. Hundreds of places will be visited, a lot of discoveries will be made and a great number of materials will be studied and analyzed. It's all there on our route-map (the schedule).
This week I was shown the way to Conferencing on Nicenet where I was really pleased to meet the members of our group. We were given precise instructions how to get to our next place of destination - blogger.com and to create a blog. That is where amazing things started to happen. I spent quite a lot of time on choosing a templete, the layout, trying different colours.And I am not still sure about the design of my blog. I feel I will change something a little bit later.
I was impressed by the tremendous potential of a blog as olnine tool for learning and teaching English.
Nearly every lesson I offer my students a quotation connected with the topic we are working on and I ask them to comment on it. There are some shy students and there are those who always seem to dominate. So, by posting a quotation on a blog and by asking everyone to make their comments, read the comments of other students and be ready to discuss the ideas expressed, could really help to resolve this problem.
Project work can benefit from the class blog greatly, too. Students can share their ideas and findings on a blog. I can observe how the process goes, give advice or help if there is such a necessity.
Blog is a great online tool for developng students' writing skills, taking into consideration the limited number of hours for practical classes. I can post guidelines how to write the indroduction, the body of the paper, the conclusion; direct them to useful websites. By the way, I have found an article "Process writing and the Inetrnet: Blogs and Ning Networks in the Classroom" (Isabela Villas Boas) full of great ideas.
http://exchanges.state.gov/englishteaching/forum/archives/docs/11-49-2/49_2_4_boas.pdf
So, I have started gathering the seeds of knowledge in WonderWEB. It is thrilling!
Hi, Helen.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to visit your blog. Thanks for sharing the link about process writing and the internet, it's very helpful for me as I'm trying to use the internet as a tool in teaching grammar. I'd like to assign my students to apply grammatical concepts and rules through writing. So far, I think writing is the best way for my students, in EFL context, to apply grammatical rules they have learned.
Again, thanks very much.
Vita.
Hi Vita.
DeleteI'm glad you find the article helpful. Knowing how other teachers use oline tools awakes desire to experiment.
Helen.
Great article, Helen. Thank you for sharing it. I like the idea of discussing a quotation in a blog post. And blogging as a part of project work is a good idea too.
ReplyDeleteHello, Natasa.
DeleteIt's really pleasant to hear that you find the ideas useful.
Helen.
Thank you for good ideas, I've been wondering what kind of blog I could begin with. Both grammar and process writing could work well with me as the final exam (national) includes of course both grammar and writing. Writing an essay is one third of the the whole exam (99/299 points)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ylioppilastutkinto.fi/en/
Hi, Sinikka.
DeleteI quite agree with you here. The preparation for the Matriculation Examination reqires consolidation of writing skills and in this aspect your blog could be of great help.
Hi Hellen!
ReplyDeleteIt is really nice to hear that you liked blogging. I am sure that you are going to do great with your students and with your friends. Blogging can be a bit demanding, but it is completely worthy.
Take care.
Ariel MartÃnez S.
Hi Ariel!
DeleteThank you for encouraging words. I am a novice in blogging and with each day I like it more and more.
Helen