For the purpose of this assignment I have looked at two different blogs currently being used in my college. I have chosen these (one being my own) to highlight what can be achieved with a little time and minimal skill and the second to show what is possible with a greater commitment to and knowledge of social software web2 learning.
This blog was used with students enrolled in Statement of Attainment Certificate 2
http://amep-b.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html is my first attempt at blogging. I used photographs of the students in my AMEP-B Level 3 class on an excursion to generate interest in the idea of blogging. I wrote the blogspot address on the board and the students were amazed to see pictures of themselves with funny captions appear on their screens. How did I do it, they all wanted to know, even my seasoned graphic designer and bored IT programmer were impressed.
These students had varying levels of computer skills from beginner to professional. A basic knowledge of word is useful for blogging. A lot of time was spent setting up email addresses for the beginners with the advanced students helping the less skilled. This in itself proved to be a very positive activity, the lesson was no longer teacher focused but a collaboration of skills and needs. The goalposts had shifted, language acquisition was no longer the aim the need to SAY something had become the focus. Every student wanted to create their own blog regardless of English language or computer skills. The blog it seemed had exposed a very strong desire to make one’s mark.
The exercise I posted was a straightforward reading task, a link was provided to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald featuring the Aboriginal rock carvings we had visited. (One of the problems with blogging is the ease with copyright can be infringed!) The students were then asked to post a comment, this proved unsuccessful and was ignored mostly.
With this introduction to blogs I now proposed the students create one for themselves. The response was overwhelming; here it seemed was an opportunity to communicate both visually and with text. The personal nature of a blog instantly appealed to the students. I have experienced such enthusiasm once before on a project I had previously undertaken with a group of ESL students during which they photographed their local area at designated times throughout a selected day. These pictures were then collated and narratives written by the students. These were exhibited in the college and the response was extraordinary. Not only were the participating students engaged in a way I had not experienced in the classroom but the NESB visitors to the exhibition reacted in an instinctive way which transcended language. The camera had become a tool of communication for students unable to express their feeling in L2, it had captured their world view and again English had become the tool and self expression the goal.
This blog was used with students enrolled in Statement of Attainment Certificate 2
http://amep-b.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html is my first attempt at blogging. I used photographs of the students in my AMEP-B Level 3 class on an excursion to generate interest in the idea of blogging. I wrote the blogspot address on the board and the students were amazed to see pictures of themselves with funny captions appear on their screens. How did I do it, they all wanted to know, even my seasoned graphic designer and bored IT programmer were impressed.
These students had varying levels of computer skills from beginner to professional. A basic knowledge of word is useful for blogging. A lot of time was spent setting up email addresses for the beginners with the advanced students helping the less skilled. This in itself proved to be a very positive activity, the lesson was no longer teacher focused but a collaboration of skills and needs. The goalposts had shifted, language acquisition was no longer the aim the need to SAY something had become the focus. Every student wanted to create their own blog regardless of English language or computer skills. The blog it seemed had exposed a very strong desire to make one’s mark.
The exercise I posted was a straightforward reading task, a link was provided to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald featuring the Aboriginal rock carvings we had visited. (One of the problems with blogging is the ease with copyright can be infringed!) The students were then asked to post a comment, this proved unsuccessful and was ignored mostly.
With this introduction to blogs I now proposed the students create one for themselves. The response was overwhelming; here it seemed was an opportunity to communicate both visually and with text. The personal nature of a blog instantly appealed to the students. I have experienced such enthusiasm once before on a project I had previously undertaken with a group of ESL students during which they photographed their local area at designated times throughout a selected day. These pictures were then collated and narratives written by the students. These were exhibited in the college and the response was extraordinary. Not only were the participating students engaged in a way I had not experienced in the classroom but the NESB visitors to the exhibition reacted in an instinctive way which transcended language. The camera had become a tool of communication for students unable to express their feeling in L2, it had captured their world view and again English had become the tool and self expression the goal.
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