My career as a teacher has been shaped by social media and the infinite possibilities offered by the realm of information technology. I studied Media Education as a minor at the University of Helsinki and I have now been blogging with my high school students for 5 years. It's been a blast!
A Native American proverb says, "Tell me and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand." I believe in teaching English by involving students in the process and letting them enjoy the thrill of the experience. Right now I mostly use this collective blog for course orientation: Espoo heart English! By clicking any of the Student Blogs, you can see what we have done for each course.
My goal is to use social media as a tool that enables the students to communicate during the learning process with each other, practice constructive criticism by commenting, learn about modern information technologies, use their imagination, and create something new together in an interactive environment. Task-based learning and blended learning are something I am interested in as methodologies and I am always looking for new ways to develop my skills as a professional and stay on the cutting-edge of education.I have experience editing video material with iMovies, MovieMaker and Pinnacle and have used them to make movies with my students like this Sweded Version of Harry Potter and Don't Be A Loser, Get a Job!
I also have a rudimentary knowledge of HTML, CSS and Dreamweaver for simple coding. I can create web-based work and study environments using blogs, wikipedia, GoogleDocs, Moodle, Fronter, BSCW, Jing Project, Adobe Connect Professional, WebCT, CmapTools and Blackboard. I have taught educational technologies at the Department of Applied Sciences of Education to those training to be teachers and professors.I prefer blogging on Wordpress, but Blogger is quite simple to use. I will be reporting here about my experiences with the University of Oregon Web Skills Course. More coming right up!
Hello, Anna. I strongly agree with you about the benefits blogging can provide. It goes without saying, that using IT in a student-centered ELT process is highly relevant. One of the oppurtunities blogging gives us is communication and, as you said, constructive criticism. Because the goal of teaching English is to create an environment provoking discussions, sharing thoughts, giving advice. The fact is, only in this way a student can really get to speak and think in the language he studies. Not to mention that along with studying language, a student will learn how to use different opportunities Internet provides, such as blogging. I believe that is extremely important for a modern person.
ReplyDeleteYou are quite right! Usually essays are handed in to the teacher and read by the teacher alone. Blogging presents the possibility of reading each others posts, peer evaluation, visual attributes etc. Publicity creates pressure, but in a good way ;) Students do their best when their work is public. This is something they understand, the importance of a virtual identity.
DeleteHi Anna,
ReplyDeleteI am really glad to be with you in the same class. I am looking forward to learning from you because I understand you have a lot of blogging experience.
Regards
Nando
Thank you Nando! I feel the same way, having taken a look at your blog. Hopefully we can work together in the future!
DeleteBeautiful blog Anna! I look forward to learning about all the ways you use blogs with your students. You mention an interest in task-based learning; I think we can have a great discussion of the ways technology can be harnessed in project-based learning, a topic we will cover later in the term.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind compliment, Janine! Project-based learning is a natural way to approach many internet environments, hopefully I will come up with new project ideas during this course!
DeleteWow! I like your blog and the things you have shared about your previous experience. Looking forward for more.
ReplyDeleteThank you Melissa!
DeleteHi Anna
ReplyDeleteYou have make a very nice blog and i am sure that we are going to learn a lot from your IT skills.
Best Regards,
Nasser
http://webskills4teachers.blogspot.com/