The end of the semester is near. With final exams just around the corner, I find it appropriate for us to share our final thoughts on CALL. Here are a few questions for you to help light the way.
1. Which CALL software/tool do you feel most comfortable with and why?
2. Which CALL software/tool are you the most excited about integrating into your current classroom/job setting?
3. Are there any other CALL issues or trends that you would like to learn more about?
4. Do you have any CALL success stories that you'd like to share with the class?
5. What do you feel is the biggest challenge with integrating CALL into today's classrooms?
6. In terms of professional development, how do you see yourself continuing to educate yourself on CALL trends after this semester?
First off, love the photo for this post!
ReplyDeleteIn terms of integrating CALL into the classroom, I'm most excited to use Webquests and Corpus-based activities. I work with university age students and I think COCA or MICASE is a great way to get the students to examine grammar or vocabulary in a context other than a tedious grammar book.
I'm looking forward to keeping on top of CALL trends by attending, say, conferences like the one happening in Austin the weekend of April 15th! I think this field is so new and has the potential for creativity, I'm interested to see what activities emerge in the future.
I have enjoyed this class a lot. I have also learned a lot. I think that I am going to be able to incorporate many of the different CALL ideas into a classroom. I hope that I can use my new knowledge of HTML in the classroom too.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I had never heard of using Corpus-based activities in the classroom. I think that is a great tool. I plan on using that in the classroom. I am sure that my students would enjoy using a blog to learn English. It would also be great to try to find a way to integrate CMC into the classroom. But, that would depend on the school and if they had the computers available and if the students had computers available at home. But, I would love to try to use CMC somehow. I would like to even try to use WebQuests as homework projects for the students.
This class has been very enlightening. I have learned a lot on how to integrate CALL into the classroom and am very excited to try some of these methods out.
One of the biggest challenges I see that I might face would be the availability to use the computer in the classrooms. I wnt to work overseas. So, there might not be computer labs. The students might not have computers or advanced technology at home. Also, the students might not even be as technologically advanced as the USA. So, I will have to consider all of those things when trying to integrate CALL.
Since this is my last official class to take before graduation, I'm a little sad to see the end of class. I feel that there is so much more for me to learn and I'm very grateful for the information. The podcast is just about the least difficult experience so far, but I'm not sure if I will have as much opportunity to use it. I know that I will use the Corpus and possibly the Hotpotatoes program since there is a very good chance that I will be using this with the NISD distance learning program.
ReplyDeleteMy success story is that I am looking forward to the chance to actually use some of these items with Moodle. Knowing this information will really prepare me for how this will be used in the adult ESL program.
The challenge for educators will always be time...we need time to answer emails, time to post lessons, time to read and reply, etc., etc. One of the strange things about having more technology is that it doesn't necessarily save us time when we have them in our lives.
CALL is really interesting and useful course, especially, for ESL teachers. Before taking this class I had no idea about all the software that we have studied so far such as Web quest, hotpatato COCO, MICASE . I believe that MICASE and COCA are the most helpful softwares for nonnative teachers, both provide us with different usages of language with rich examples.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I am not quite sure of the way how I will incorporate these softwares in my classroom, this depends on my students’ needs.
1. Which CALL software/tool do you feel most comfortable with and why?
ReplyDelete-I've been exposed to a lot of different types of software that is new to me, but most of it is pretty user friendly. I really like the WebQuests, but I also find blogs potentially useful as well as podcasting.
2. Which CALL software/tool are you the most excited about integrating into your current classroom/job setting?
-I really like the WebQuest because it helps focuses students on a task. It's also far more flexible than I had previously realized...one can really do a lot and incorporate a lot of different pedogogical methods....its not just controlled web searching, but also possible inquiry-based learning or project-based learning ready.
3. Are there any other CALL issues or trends that you would like to learn more about?
-I think a weblist of free software and sights would be really useful and I would love to explore ways of searching for free and/or low-cost technology tools....even ways of adapting available hardware to meet new and creative needs....because, in my experience....teaching is always a challenge between budgets and time. Time to use limited facilities and making due with what is available in creative ways.
4. Do you have any CALL success stories that you'd like to share with the class?
- Learning how to use stories to teach a lesson both for ESL and general ed. purposes.
5. What do you feel is the biggest challenge with integrating CALL into today's classrooms?
- Resources and time. Resources because there is never an unlimited budget and so one must always make do with what is available, but also because there are always limitations and knowing how to "hyridize" ones teaching is important but very challenging. Time because NCLB mandates dictate the ebb and flow of class instruction in very restrictive and limiting ways. There is never enough time to be creative and one must always balance the time-consuming nature of authentic learning with the drilled efficiency of teaching to the test that will determine the fate of your job.
6. In terms of professional development, how do you see yourself continuing to educate yourself on CALL trends after this semester?
-Technology helps speed up creative learning possibilities so I will definitely continue to find ways to utilize technology to motivate students and expedite sound pedagogical practices that might not be considered appropriate in the ATTACK TAKS environment.
Wow, I just got done typing and my entire post was deleted by the internet connection failing- so there is one example of the internet providing limitations and problems in CALL!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to say that I appreciated the wrap up to all of the different activities we have done!I will address two questions --
A. Favorite technology so far and why:
I really have enjoyed utilizing blogs and wikis. They are relatively easy to use and we have had much pracise in using them during this course. I feel that they could be taught to the students even with little experience in technology and could be adapted to various language levels. They also allow for collaboration during learning- students can work with each other and learn from each other.
B. Frustrations and problems with CALL integration in classrooms:
The biggest problem for me is permissions from schools. Gaining access to a computer lab is relatively hard- but once gained there are often stipulations. We were not allowed to use any programs that the school did not have even if they were free. Restrictions such as this cause problems and constraints in teaching. Also, technology failure is another large problem. Any environment I have worked in has been difficult because the computers etc. would crash often.
Well, let me start by saying that I will miss reading everyones' blogs and learning a new activity in every class meeting. At first, it was more like a duty, but now I look forward to learning more and suddenly the semester is almost over.
ReplyDeleteI feel comfortable using the blog. It is great to be able to read and learn other people's ideas or learn from them. I look forward to using CMC, Hot Potatoes, blogs, and Wikis into the classroom. These are great tools to integrate in the instruction for providing information or as academic support. I would like to learn other trends which are currently been used in CALL. Since this is a new field for me, I'm not sure what is out ther. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to share these tools in the classroom, but I feel confident that I know how to integrate them. One of the biggest challenges of integrating CALL in today's classroom is that we have to follow the curriculum and get approval to do anything not in the curriculum. The district has certain restrictions and teachers need to be creative in finding ways to integrate CALL. I am looking forward to educate myself with the latest CALL trends. I'm not sure how or where I can find information on professional development opportunities, if someone knows, please let me know.
@Terri (and everyone else) - Check out the TexFLEC/SoCALLT conference happening in Austin the weekend of April 15-16!
ReplyDeleteI have learned so much from this class, and I’m really excited to put what I’ve learned into practice in the future. I am thinking about asking my future students to use Wikis, WebQuests and blogs to create an e-portfolio and maybe asking them to create a podcast to upload to their blog so share with the world, corpus-based planning will be used when my students seem to struggle on a specific grammar/vocab feature. All of these are to enhance their English learning experience. What I will have to do is to check their work frequently, just in case something breaks down and their work got erased. I will remind them the importance of always having a backup plan/copy. When learning becomes fun, students will be motivated and ready to test out different ideas. I will further my knowledge on CALL and language teaching by attending workshops, conferences and try to be updated as possible.
ReplyDelete1. Which CALL software/tool do you feel most comfortable with and why?
ReplyDeleteI'd have to say I am pretty comfortable with blogging and wikispaces only because I have been used to posting and editing information online. That being said, I have learned a lot more about using and maintaining these two types of resources and how I can incorporate them into my teaching. From the onset I was pretty nervous about creating a CMC lesson plan and podcast. But, the prep work and workshops we did in class really helped me and I feel confident (especially with podcasting, I kind of surprised myself with this one) that I can play around and eventually use these technologies in my future language classrooms.
2. Which CALL software/tool are you the most excited about integrating into your current classroom/job setting?
I had a lot of fun with the podcasting assignment. This is a surprise to me because I was not really looking forward to learning how to use this technology and as a language learner myself, I don't learn well through podcasts. I can see however, their benefits and I am now more confident in making/creating and using them.
3. Are there any other CALL issues or trends that you would like to learn more about? Definitely more about copyright issues. I am now more stringent about the information I take and share off the internet, trying my best to respect any copyrights.
4. Do you have any CALL success stories that you'd like to share with the class? Not any that involve students, yet! But I feel that all of the homework we were assigned, at least for me, were successes for me!
5. What do you feel is the biggest challenge with integrating CALL into today's classrooms? Teacher and student (pre) training of any sort of technology both in how to use it and understanding it's benefits to the learning. This is such a huge and time consuming step; but if it were achieved, then CALL classes can run smoothly and efficiently.
6. In terms of professional development, how do you see yourself continuing to educate yourself on CALL trends after this semester?
I'd have to practice a lot more with the different technologies and become even more familiar with them than I am now. I also see myself speaking and learning from CALL teachers who really have the nitty gritty on what works and what doesn't.
The CALL software I feel most comfortable, and can actually apply to my teaching situation is the Corpus tools. I teach upper-intermediate/advanced students. They often ask about actual use of words or phrases. The Corpus tools are great to get the student to search out the usage patterns. Particularly as it can be difficult to think of a good example on the spot.
ReplyDeleteI also really liked MALL. As a language learner, being able to access mini-lessons, refresher material no matter where I am is appealing. Plus, as a teacher, I can encourage my students to use mobile applications to supplement their formal language learning.
I think I will spend my summer with my CALL class notes and study all those "red marks of quessions" A lot of things to accomplish. Now I have realised that HTML is not that hard at all, I would pick up the word from ladies vocabulary...no, it is not harder then embroidery or croushe and it wants same "aptitude" of patience, but it is not as hard as moon landing. This was the answer to the question 6.
ReplyDeleteMr.T won my sympathy with the answer to the question 5. I would add the only thing - it is good to pray "Don't crash my computer system right in the middle of activity..." right in the moment then you have to open the door of your classroom...This is the biggest challenge...In this situation you have to have some paralegal training for sure. To turn around - and turn you lesson into something else, but not less prodactile. The best answer to the question number 4 is MY approach to CALL class with overcoming own obstacles. I think I will use all my new knowleges and will find something else during my summer drilling the idea of technology in school. I willfugure it out at the end of the time I am planning to spend in this subject.
I am very grateful of all the new resources I have to incorporate into my classroom. I absolutely love the podcasting! @Mary did a wonderful job and I can not wait to work on one with my class!
ReplyDeleteEducators face many challenges integrating CALL into the classroom and each teacher must find what works best for them and their students. That can be the most challenging part because every teacher has a different level of experience with CALL and each student is different. As a teacher I would take it slow and master step by step in order to make sure there is mastery.
Did you have to ask so many questions?!?!
ReplyDelete1. I <3 WebQuests.
2. See Number 1.
3. Khan Academy (see youtube) is something that I find fascinating. You guys should all check it out while it is still free.
4. No success here. :-(
5. I think that the biggest challenge that needs to be overcome is removing the technical hangups that can occur whilst executing a CALL Assignment (remember the great Collocation Block/Crash of 2011? Sad day. :-( )
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