The last posting….Summer is upon us now.
Only a few students cam to the last class. This will be their last posting focused on their Summer expectations in relation to their interests. Everyone has plans, many are leaving the country. I hope they all have a great time and enjoy their holidays as well as learn a little more English! As for me – I’ll be here in Madrid trying not to melt, enjoying my new bike and trying to hit the pool whenever I can.
One week later and here we are – I hope they finally post something. Some of them have been having problems, some technical and some motivational. I think I’m going to have to be more involved in the process today. To date I have been letting them write on their own and correcting their posts during class time, but I feel if I’m more active with them today they’ll react a bit. Let’s see
We are back in the lab. Students are still not inspired to post anything from home. What can be done to remedy this? Motivation? Demand? I’m not sure but this has definitely been a drawback of using the Blog as a class tool.
Like I mentioned last week the actual correction of the material is also difficult – I think the best way to integrate the Blog would be to print out the posts and use them in class. By making the “virtual” somehow “real” it may have more of a lasting effect on them. As it stands, they enter content during class time and leave it at that. I edit it during the next class and tell them to look at my corrections, but I have no faith that they do so.
They enjoy it on the surface as an activity, but it has yet to become personal. It is definitely me telling them to do it. I don’t really have any allusions that it will become “personal” but it is a nice idea!
Silly – but playing them Paul Simon’s, Graceland – a classic, who knows, one never knows where inspiration will come from. Here is an image of the CD Long Box from the summer of 1986!!
….AND you must fight off Google Translate…
Ooopps….I accidentally deleted my Week 3 post and cannot find it… (note to self)
After a bit of confusion over lab use, the class is logged in and writing. I have found it best to give the students some ideas before each session as that helps them use their time most efficiently. If not, I have noticed that they fritter away minutes thinking of what to write – the power of suggestion!
In general, I would say that it has been going well, they aren’t mad about the project, but the interest level has steadily been increasing and I think that it is something that would easily work in higher frequency. However, posting outside of class still hasn’t taken root. I’ve asked on several occasions, however it has only happened once or twice.
We are listening to Tim Hardin, who was an American folk musician from the nineteen sixties. It must sound very exotic to them! Imagine it’s from the time of their grandparents. But, I feel that’s part of my role too, to expose them not only to lexical chunks but cultural chunks as well.
We’re back in the lab. Last week was a “puente” and we chose not to come to the lab so hopefully the kids are excited and will post numerous things….I’m a bit under the weather but trying to make the best of it. I feel the students have responded well to this project so far and hope we can build on what we’ve doing over the next few weeks.
Some notes for future attempts at class blogging – tell the students to create clear and easy usernames and passwords to remember. Every class there are several minutes eaten up by students who can’t recall one or the other…or both.
So, I’m realizing that one of the hardest things is how to use this as a teaching tool – one where the students can reflect on the mistakes the have made in their writing. I am not sure what the best way to correct their entries is.
Here we are in the lab – working our way through technical problems. We are almost there, internet keeps dropping – but everyone is nearly registered.
Nearly there, lots of confusion – one last student to get online
Definitely better if the students could do this outside of class…if only!
We would rather be... 