This week I am attempting an experiment on my other blog... for my students. Check it out. It took a lot of time but hopefully I can use it again in the future!!
JL

Here's me in Toledo.

Message for Alberto:

Here are the topics I am thinking about for my TIFLE research project:
1. Do students' study habits change as a result of CALL? For example, do they study more times per week, spread out their assignments more, or complete all assignments in one fell swoop? Homework on paper vs. homework on the computer is what I would be focusing on.
2. What are the advantages/disadvantages between online workbooks and paper workbooks?
3. Is CALL feedback as effective as paper or face-to-face feedback? For example, when students complete assignments in the classroom and get an answer right or wrong, how does the teacher's feedback affect them versus if they are alone on a website with a computer correcting them, telling them they are right, or reviewing areas they need additional help with.

As can be seen, I am, more than anything, interested in comparing "traditional" ie, teacher-fronted or pencil-and-paper techniques with CALL. What are the advantages and disadvantages, which is more motivating, etc. Since I am a big fan of using technology as a tool instead of a gadget, I am very into these types of questions. Feedback is so welcome and would really help me... I am a literature student and these types of studies are very foreign to me. Are my topics way too broad?
THANKS!!!!!

Your Candy Heart Says "Cutie Pie"

You always seem to have a hot date, even though you never try to meet anyone.A total charmer, you have a natural appeal that keeps you in high demand. Your ideal Valentine's Day date: multiple dates with multiple people Your flirting style: 100% natural What turns you off: serious relationship talks Why you're hot: you're totally addicting

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

TIFLE Thoughts...
A little over a year ago I had never really thought about incorporating technology into my teaching. I was having enough trouble just figuring out how to teach! I was also very anti-powerpoint (for the language classroom) when it was brought up in my methods class, thinking that a key part of learning is to see a process (the way you can on a board). So here I am now, using powerpoints every day in class and taking a class on TIFLE. I am excited to learn how I can use technology to enhance, not replace, my teaching style. I have found ways to do that with powerpoint, I think: giving students photos, quick lists, and even animation that is memorable and visual while still working out "language problems" and conjugations on the board. I am aprehensive about the problems that using too much technology can present, like eliminating face-to-face interaction and good old fashioned pen-and-paper writing. So I will not be seduced into being replaced by robots or voice activated video games, etc. I do want to keep my job. But yes, I am learning so much about the possibilities and will keep my mind wide open. Yay TIFLE!

Ohmigosh Alberto, you are soooo cute, and your skin is like, beautiful. 

Go Joy, it's your birthday, we gonna party like it's your birthday...

cotton, any one? 

Hey guys... here we are huntin' fer gators in the swawmp...

 

Homework for Feb. 1: Blog Logs

I tried to look for all different types of blogs to see what’s out there. I searched for the word Spanish, to see what I would get and found this blog, a blog created for teachers and students of Spanish. They have links to different teachers’ posts, by person, which is cool and even have students writing journals from abroad. I thought about how when I was studying in Mexico I would write bulk emails to every one describing my experience—how much cooler would it have been to say ‘here’s my blog addy’ and show them pics as well. What a great way to share adventures. I got some ideas for links and added some to mine. This blog had a real purpose…

…unlike this one, which is one of those where you find out way too much about people’s lives. The caption of this blog is: We are bored a lot. See the crap idle hands create. Nice. I think I learned from this one just how bored people can really be. Not just for creating a blog like this but actually reading it—yikes. I felt a little creepy doing it. There are five ‘contributers’ to the blog, so they share this stuff a lot, I guess. Today there was a new entry where one of the guys wrote as if he were a mouse living in a restaurant in the 70’s. Enough said.

I was truly blown away by the possibilities when I saw this blog. This person logs every thing (s)he eats. Every meal. Every day. I might do that to if I ate what she ate—homemade bread, trout tapas, and lots of granola and orange almond cake. It all sounded very wholesome and organic and lovely. Maybe it’s some time of strange diet blog… Anyways, I had to mention this one, even though I didn’t learn too much

My last blog was Resli’s, which is so cute. I really want to make a flog like this for my new nephew coming in March. I like the flog idea altogether, I had never really seen one before Reslie’s. It is a neat way to share your life with far-away family and friends, which I have a lot of. I also learned how to use Picasa, which is a photo software program that lets you blog your photos super easily.

I think overall, I learned more about blog possibilities.