the back up plan...

My last teaching session reminded me of the importance of having a back up plan in a teaching session. Despite it working where I teach for numerous weeks in a row, technology that I needed failed me in the shape of speakers not playing out audio. As the audio I had intended to use did not have a transcript I could not read this out myself, instead I changed to a completely different dialogue but still keeping the listening exercise. I feel that in the circumstances I rectified the situation as best I could (even if it did mean the learners listening to more of my voice!). However, it brought home to me how much I and others rely on this kind of technology and especially in language teaching where it is so important to listening exercises in particular. I am also reminded of how many times I have faced or witnessed this. Sometimes I feel it would be better to revert to old style media such as a CD or cassette but even then I have have been faced with a player not being available, skipping/damaged discs or other such difficulties. So where do we draw the line with contingencies? I personally feel sometimes like I have gone to the extreme of thinking that 'everything will not work' rather than 'something will work' which is perhaps over the top. I am by no means denying that an alternative task shouldn't be nicely tucked away to whip out when an intended one is finished or doesn't work as intended- that's just good sense. I suppose experience teaches you to be prepared for the worst.

Memory

No, I'm not going to sing Barbara Streisand at you... but rather share some reflections on the influence this has on teaching and learning My students have made comments such as ‘oh that’s one of the first things I learnt’ when I give them a phrase or item of vocabulary accompanied by ‘why couldn’t I remember it?’ frustration. I have been told previously that it takes 20 exposures to a word to have a high probability of it being learnt. I have certainly noticed this in my own experience and even recall of words that I could previously use, therefore practice is an issue. I remember being taught certain patterns such as numbers and months of the year in other languages as a rhythm or chant. This was very successful in raining this long term. I can recall finding dates and the associated historical events for exams particularly difficult. I seem to overall have a greater capacity for left brain thinking- for example I am better with remembering language and do ok with things like chemical formulae. This probably explains why I use what D Child refers to as a verbal symbolic process to ensure information is transferred to the LTM. Perhaps a visual process would be better in this case. I found his comment about meaning being linked to long term memory very interesting. In relation to language learning and teaching I have found this to be more complex than this. There is a need for absolute clarity in semantic meaning when introducing or clarifying a word or phrase. One important method for discerning whether this has been achieved is concept checking. As teachers will often not share a native language with their students, this checking is often done in the language being taught. It is thought that students being asked to think about and question the language themselves and to ‘discover’ their way to the solution aids longer term retention. Recently however I have come question this. I do agree that self-discovery can aid retention; I personally find it very effective. However there is no denying the fact the when teaching there is an immediate visible penny-drop when a native language translation is mentioned. For me the bigger question is whether my own and my students’ frustration is to do with information not being stored and going out of the short term memory or not transferring to the long term memory. I guess I just have to find more effective ways of maintain the information short term and therefore give it more opportunity to be accessible long term.

mobile...

Just wanted to share a few 'finds' and good tips for mobile technology incorporation

Phil Rice has some good pointers for apps in language teaching

nik peachey also has some really interesting ideas for using video and shares some of his favourite apps

there are some really good ideas for using various ipad apps particularly in language teaching on kirsty pacido's blog

my small illustrative bubbl

barriers to using technology

For most of us technology is now a major part of our lives, there does however, remain a certain amount of scepticism and indeed technophobia among many people. Certain generations will quote age as a barrier to using technology. They feel that as they have not used it their entire lives then they will not be able to acquire the 'knack'. On a personal note I have found many younger learners to be curious about technology in a 'what's that?' way whereas with adult learners that way of looking at technology is not always there. I remember in an adult class setting a task to bring to class some photos, on the day of the next class I showed my photographs and then came the part of the task where they talked about their photographs. It was very interesting to watch the scrabble for mobile phones and them finding their photographs, having to ask each other for help when they could not locate them. This was in stark in stark contrast to my younger learners who would frequently enter my class with their heads buried in their Smartphone screen and/or with headphones in place. I should point out that this is a generalisation but I do think therefore, the 'challenge' with incorporating technology with adult learners is that they can have a vastly differing experience of using it. Another significant barrier is the logistical one, something that most of us who use technology on a regular basis encounter. My recent example was the PC crashing when trying to download and use Smart software. We have thankfully now reached a mutual understanding and appreciation of this despite the original misgivings the computer had! In their article J Keengwe et al split such barriers in two types- first-order and second-order "first-order barriers include lack of equipment, unreliability of equipment, lack of technical support and other resource related issues. Second-order barriers include...teacher-level factors, such as beliefs about teaching and technology and openness to change." Although they refer to studies from the early two thousands they do provide some interesting insights into the work that still needs to be done to integrate technology and remind us that "although technologies allow  students to work more productively than in the past , the teacher's role in technology-rich classrooms is more demanding than ever"   

Reference
Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., & Wachira, P. (2008). Computer Technology Integration and Student learning: Barriers and promise. Journal of science education and technology , 17 (6), 560-565.

the value of mobile technology in learning and teaching

Before we think about the value of mobile technology in learning and teaching we need to consider the various meanings of mobile. When discussing learning, both the learner and the devices themselves can be ‘mobile’ -we can now have access to learning aids almost anywhere and anytime. This has meant a great change in the way we learn, rather than it just being restricted to a classroom or school environment we can now access learning at our fingertips. As with any technology what we use is constantly evolving as well as the way we use it. As N Hockly states “Part of the challenge in arriving at a single definition of mobile learning has to do with the fact that it is a rapidly changing field, with new and more sophisticated handheld devices constantly appearing on the market.” For the majority of people some form of  smart device or tablet is something that they now utilise on a daily basis. This trend coupled with the improvement in networks and internet access means that we have wider access to tools for work and social media. It is only natural that this will also apply to learning. Rather than attending a formal course people can engage with various informal learning opportunities while they travel, in free time and at their convenience. These can range from listening to a podcast, downloading and using an app, reading educational publications, the possibilities are numerous. There also needs to be a consideration, however, of how to incorporate mobile technology into formal education. I feel there is lot of potential and the ability to connect learners to each other more easily is a valuable resource when used in the correct way.

Reference

Hockly, N. (2012). Mobile Learning. ELT Journal , 67 (1), 80-84.

 

Has technology changed the way we learn?

The impact that technology has had and continues to have on learning is evident if you walk into the modern classroom. Over the last couple of decades the incorporation of technology into classrooms has meant that they have changed in numerous ways. One major change has been interactive boards; the board has long been the focal point of classrooms since the times when it was written on with chalk. You only have to walk into most modern classrooms to see the difference that this has made. Students now not only read what is on the board but they also look at pictures, watch videos and check answers all on the one board. That is leaving aside the potential for students to design their own activities and student participation and writing on or using the board; all of these are true interaction with the technology and the learning activity. A huge part of learning is from a kinesthetic and hands on experience of things. This is something that technology cannot replace. As L Monke reminds us

"There is a huge qualitative difference between learning about something, which requires only information, and learning from something, which requires that the learner enter into a rich and complex relationship with the subject at hand"

Previously only very brave teachers would venture very far from established methods of teaching, now it is not only possible but necessary to incorporate activities that use different learning styles - more pictorial/visual stimulus, more sound and more movement and interaction by the learners themselves. There is also the issue around the use we make of technology for research. Before the internet became a major part of our lives we did not need to be as concerned about checking the sources of any material that we find and also how easy it is to plagiarise. It has however afforded an ease of access to information that we nearly all take daily advantage of.

Reference

Monke, L. (2004). The Human Touch. Education next , 4 (4), 10-15.