Joylandia

2006-07-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

Our last night in London we saw "Embers" with Jeremy Irons-- amazing!

2006-04-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

A recent family pic...

2006-04-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

Take a look at Samuel's Blog !!

2006-04-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

Was my mom a multi-tasker or what? That's me in there!!

2006-04-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

With my boys in Virginia-- TJ's house

2006-04-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

Andrecito y Omarcito before their school play

2006-04-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

My God son Carlitos

2006-04-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

Lewis Fam at the Georgia Aquarium

2006-04-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to Alberto

2006-04-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

Fun studying for the comps-- An action shot

2006-04-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

Alberto will go to great length to watch the news--uninterrupted

2006-04-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

The Complete Mexican Family

2006-04-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

2006-04-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

Samuel at the Easter Egg Hunt

2006-04-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

Wikilandia

I am still a little nervious about the idea of incorporating wikis into my classroom. I had a bad experience this semester when I created a community Yahoo Briefcase to share PowerPoints with my students-- someone went in and erased them--twice. And if these are university students, they should, supposedly be more mature and responsable than highschool ones. I had a good time seeing the wikis that are out there and being used for classes, although many of the links we were given in class were expired. I was especially impressed with Matt Barton's TikiWiki, which had some great features like polls, discussion boards/student blogs, lots of links, etc. And had a great "look" to it-- a lot like a normal website. But I was also overwhelmed looking at it; it looks like a ton of work and hard to maintain. But I am definitely going to keep exploring Wikilandia and see what it has to offer.

2006-04-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

TIFLE Mini Project 3

Teaching with Technology Philosophy Statement

In my four years of experience as a teacher, and more specifically, two years as a Spanish teacher, I have discovered that the key to educating well is to never stop learning. Living in the technology age, this idea takes on a whole new meaning—from e-mail to instant messaging, video conferencing to wikis, keeping up with new developments in teaching with technology could be a full-time job. But just as important as learning about up-and-coming resources is incorporating them correctly into one’s general teaching philosophy. The desire to entertain and “wow” one’s students (and even one’s self) with new-found skills and gadgets can sometimes be more distracting than engaging: “Too often in North American classrooms today, increasingly sophisticated technological machinery is used for trivial purposes for want of a coherent instructional and social vision to drive it.” (Cummins and Sayers, 1995, p. 120). It is my goal to constantly strive to use technology to enhance, not replace, my teaching style.
In terms of my goals within the classroom, I strive to provide my students with a comfortable and engaging atmosphere in which to learn and share ideas. Teaching foreign language, with all of its diverse applications, I am constantly working towards a balance between teacher-fronted instruction and communicative student-to-student interaction. I try to set an example with my enthusiasm and good-humor about the challenges of language learning, relating my personal experiences and trying to relate with my students. I constantly remind them of how far they have come and what real-world consequences their language learning can have in their everyday life. Beyond grammar, cultural knowledge, respect and sensitivity are a key part of what I hope my students will take away from their classroom experience.
It is this philosophy that I intend to complement with the integration of educational technology. For example, from the Cultura Project , one can see that the Internet is a great tool that can be used to promote virtual interaction in the target language and give students first-hand experience speaking to people from other cultures and countries, without the financial and time constraints associated with study abroad. This type of real-world application of language is something that the Internet, in the way that it closes the communicative gap between cultures, can offer. In my own classes, I have used websites, on-line articles and cultural e-mail exchanges (“key pals”) to give students access to the foreign culture. I use PowerPoint, video, digital photos to engage their interest and aid them in grasping concepts and promoting cultural awareness. Discussion boards are on-line class-related polls are used to encourage communication and community outside of the classroom.
As a result of my Technology in Foreign Language Education course, and subsequent experimentation within the classroom, I have learned and continue to learn about the possibilities that technology has to offer. I have also learned, however, that technology should in no way altogether replace more “traditional” methods. For example, PowerPoint can be incredible useful in presenting students with photos, quick lists, charts, and even animation that is memorable and visual. However, the chalkboard is still an invaluable tool for working out "language problems" and conjugations, so that students can view the actual process. I am aware of and careful with the problems that using too much technology can present, like eliminating face-to-face interaction and good, old fashioned pen-and-paper writing. In some circumstances, it can be isolating to students who are less “technologically literate”; it can also be time consuming and frustrating when not functioning properly. Practice, and a backup plan, is necessary.
In conclusion, my philosophy on teaching with technology is similar to my philosophy on teaching—I strive to be engaging, relevant (in terms of real-world application), and communicative. Keeping up with technological advances is key—the more time passes, the more computer literate our students will be. And “meeting them where they are” has obvious rewards: technology can be an interesting, interactive and extremely motivating tool. But also key is experimentation—finding specific applications that enhance and contribute to one’s own goals as a teacher.

2006-04-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

Mini Project 1

The very first time I remember seeing a chat room was when I was 14 –quite old—and yet I can’t even remember: What was life like before the Internet?!
It was a lot harder than I thought to track my Internet access. It is such a part of my daily life that I don’t notice it at all… I had to keep a log by my P.C. (for home logging) and in my backpack (for away logging). I would sometimes be on-line for 20 or so minutes before I realized I was even on-line—it was like awaking from a zombie-like sleepwalk—What am I doing? How did I get here?
I started tracking myself in cyber space on Sunday, January 22nd. A not-so-normal day for me, I didn’t log on until 2 p.m., which I attribute to the fact that my husband didn’t have to get up early for class and we spent some time together making breakfast (yes, breakfast at noon!) and so on. I hit my normal sites for about fifteen minutes—my three email accounts (one I’ve had since I was 18 which is like a file cabinet of my life, another I have for spam control—to order things and sign up for things, and my webmail account for school-related stuff), the news headlines and weather on myyahoo!, my bank account, and facebook. This first cyberstop of my morning is usually just like 15 minutes, as it was today, to give me my little “fix” for the morning and make sure there is nothing super-important going on in the world (or my life) that I should know about. I logged on again at 3:30 p.m. for two hours, this time to put two collectible Italian dolls on e-bay (one my grandmother’s, one mine). I spent another hour responding to some students’ emails I had read in the morning and checking my professors’ websites to get ready for the week. I printed some poetry from e-reserve and did a library search for some books. In the evening, I signed on once again to check on my dolls, and get my “night fix” (the same sites, basically that I visit in the morning).
On Monday, after my “morning fix ” (this time at 10 a.m., which is more typical for me), I spent some time uploading my SPN 1115 PowerPoint to my Yahoo Briefcase and then ordered some clearance Christmas décor (woohoo!) from Poterrybarn.com. All of this took about an hour. In the afternoon—in my office—I checked all of my normal websites again and sent a couple emails. At about midnight, I had my night fix.
Tuesday was my birthday , so it was not the most common day for me. Breakfast in bed and gift-opening (way to go, Alberto!) postponed my morning fix until about 1 p.m. I was out all day and night, so I only checked mail again once at a friend’s house and then had my night fix around midnight.
On Wednesday, I logged on at around 10 a.m., and after my normal websites, spent 30 minutes cleaning out my yahoo mail (I have a problem with not deleting things right away, and I keep emails that are special to me—I have 300 in my inbox!) and then spent an hour entering my students’ emails into my address book on webmail. I worked on my PowerPoint with my messenger open—just to see when I got a new email—for about 30 minutes and then uploaded it to my briefcase. In the afternoon, I spent about two hours reading on-line articles for tifle, and at around 1 a.m., had my night fix.
Thursday morning, starting around 9 (after the normal fix), was occupied by my job search. I googled my way through positions, filled out on-line applications, and found a telephone number to check up on some materials. I then spent all day, minus short breaks for food and a shower, researching for my comprehensive exams and preparing a ficha for our meeting that afternoon at 4 p.m. I had my night fix at 12:30 am.
Friday and Saturday were typical weekend days for me. I spent less time on the net for school and more time for leisure. I researched Disney tickets, updated my facebook, checked email and eBay way too much, and a little time checking for jobs and researching for class. My night and morning fixes were still in place.
Being without the Internet, I have found, is like being in the middle of the jungle—I feel very isolated and like I don’t know what’s going on out in the world—not just news-wise, but with my friends, with my T.V. shows, everything! I think that I use the Internet more when I am alone—for this very reason that it can make you feel less lonely. I am not a big chatter—I will have my yahoo messenger open while I am on my P.C. just to see if I get an email, but I am proud to say that I don’t IM the day or night away—ever. I do, however, waste a lot of time on the Internet—hence the zombie-like state mentioned above. I check email over and over throughout the day, I got very obsessed this week with checking my dolls on eBay, etc. Getting on-line is usually the first thing I do when I wake up and the last thing I do before going to sleep. This really disturbs me, as I think those two moments should reflect the priorities in one’s life. I read way more emails than I send—this week I received more than 50 (that weren’t spammy) and sent only 9. I am very bad about getting back to people, which I need to work on.
But even though I waste some time, the Internet is also a huge time-saver and convenient tool for me. I pay my bills, keep in touch with my professors and students, and do research for class. Overall, I use the Internet more for business-y interaction than for meaningful interaction. I touch base with my family and friends, share “news” and upcoming plans via the net, but never chat, and I save “real” conversations for the phone or snail mail. I don’t think I could ever keep a real on-line journal; I am very attached to my paper one and also a private person! Flogs, however, are right up my alley, as I like sharing pictures with family and friends. Even though I use the net more when I am alone, I try not to let it replace reality. Just like with my phone and T.V., I fight the obsession and try to only and use it at my convenience, not let it interrupt my real life, but enrich it by allowing it to save me time, etc. I had a friend in college who could never do anything else if E.R. was on—how depressing! I don’t ever want a form of technology to rule my personal life in that way.

2006-04-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

Message for Jonathan

2006-04-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

I had a great time exploring Odeo.com! The site is extremely user-friendly and could have lots of use in a language classroom. I love how you can email recordings and also post them as links. I will totally be using this. The activity I created is a simple listening-to-writing one for students to practice vocab. Listening skills are definitlely needing more attention, so homework assignments like these would be a great alternative to pen-and-paper ones: Click here for activity.

2006-04-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

LINKS TO MY DISCUSSION BOARD POSTS:

Response 1
Response 2
Response 3

2006-04-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

It might look like he's crying but he's actually lovin it!

2006-04-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

Playing with Lofty and Scoop (can we build it?? YES WE CAN!)

2006-04-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

Here's my Dad's house in Georgia. The question is: Can you find my brother? *hint: look for the "thumb's up"

2006-03-29T08:15:00.000-08:00

Mooing around in MundoHispano

Exploring the Spanish Language Moo was really interesting. It was a little confusing downloading the software, but I finally got into the MOO. It is huge (as far as I can tell) and people from all over the world are involved in adding to it. I spent a lot of time at the "tourist office" my first visit, learning the commands I could use, how to get around, what my options and possiblities were, etc. This is a neat construction because you can also speak English and read instructions in English if you are totally lost. This first visit I went to La Puerta del Sol, La Calle Acala, the Internet Cafe and the "Newbie Room" in Madrid (the Moo's homebase). I stayed in Madrid this first time and didn't do much but look around. Every one I saw (few people) were all dormidos -- asleep!

The second time I entered the MOO, I traveled outside Madrid, to some ski slopes, but I didn't figure out how to actually ski. When people build their own little rooms or places, they have a whole other set of instructions that are sometimes hard to find. I also went to someone's house and wrote on a "tablero". Every one I found in the blog, like the first time, was "dormido".
My final time in the MOO was the most fun, probably because I knew a little more about how to move around. I went to a bar, saw and pet a parrot (it bit me), and even went to Guanajuato, Mexico on a MOOtour. While in Gto, I went to the Callejon del Beso (right by where I used to live!) and a gift shop to look at teddy bears. That was cute. Back in Madrid I went to a park and read some poetry by Pablo Neruda on the graffitti wall.

At first I was skeptical about using the MOO in class, but now I think it could definitely work. I think it would have to be a pretty advanced class, however, so they wouldn't get completely frustrated. Ample intro activities would be needed like a "demo" by the teacher, a sheet of commands, etc., and I think that students could work in groups. Two activities I thought of: a scavenger hunt, where students have to go to certain places, write a message on a bulletin board, find a gift, etc. (like we did in TIFLE class) or a race where students have to try and find a certain place and the first ones to get there win. Students could also, if they can find people who are awake, speak (write) in TL and meet people from all over the world. Virtual meetings could be coordinated.

Even though complicated and hard to grasp at first, the MoondoHispano was fun and I think students would enjoy it. Besides, they are forced to use Spanish to get results, which is always motivating and rewarding for them.

2006-03-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

Mini-Project 2

MyCMC assignment was designed as a term-long project for a Spanish high school class of approximately 10 students with 2+ years of Spanish as a base. The course would be a 4-week elective course on Mexican culture and would incorporate all four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. While class time would be dedicated to more speaking and listening, the series of CMC activities would primarily focus on enhancing students’ writing skills; all interactions will be made in Spanish. All assignments would also promote a further deepening of cultural knowledge as well as an interactive, outside-of-class language community. Besides the first week, when students are taken to the language lab to set up their blogs, most CM assignments would be conducted outside of class as homework. A final cultural presentation on a topic selected by the student will conclude and serve as a follow-up to what students have learned.
Blogs have been chosen as the means for CMC for this project because of their ability to generate a creative, personal space that is also compatible with many means of communication and interaction—postings, comments, pictures, audio files, links, etc. Students would visit the computer lab, and with the assistance of the teacher, create individual blogs using blogger.com.
As a complement to the topics and materials presented in class, students’ would be required to post four blog postings per week: two to their own blog and two to their weekly compañero/a’s blog. Of the posts to their own blogs, one would be a formal article response—that is, students would be assigned an article (by the teacher) appropriate to the weekly cultural topic (for example, this Día de Muertos article) and asked to post a response to their blogs. This “formal” posting would be graded more formally in terms of grammar, vocabulary, spelling, etc. The second post would be a more “free” and creative response to any topic discussed in class that week, and would be graded not in terms of grammar or spelling but in terms of engagement, thoughtfulness, and creativity. The balance created each week between free / informal expression and structured / formal expression would keep students engaged and active while deepening their cultural knowledge and enhancing their writing skills.
Each week, students’ will be paired with a different compañero/a from class. The pair will respond to each others’ blogs twice per week—once to each other’s formal posting and once to each other’s informal posting. Students will be reminded that posting and responding outside of their weekly pairs and beyond the required amount is highly encouraged and a percentage of their overall grade in the course (5-10%) will be allotted for general activity in the class’ blog community. Other homework assignments at the teacher’s discretion could also be assigned and posted to students’ blogs.
Serving as “mayor” of this virtual community, the teacher will maintain a “home blog” with links to all student pages, links to articles, questionnaires, assignments, resources, grading rubrics, etc. (similar to our TIFLE blog). This blog would probably be a “paid” one in order to allow for more features (linking to PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, etc.).
CMC, and more specifically, blogs, would enhance this interactive cultural class by allowing the interaction to continue outside of the classroom, strengthening the class community. Students would have a creative space to express themselves as well as track their progression in cultural knowledge and language skills. By having specific postings due on certain days (and the ability of the bog to track this) allows the teacher to disperse students’ assignments throughout the week and insure that they are getting ample practice outside of class. The guest speaker provides a different, real-world perspective to the classroom and his interaction will encourage students to communicate with competence and cultural sensitivity. The final project will allow students to pursue their specific cultural interests (while serving as a follow-up to what they have learned) and also get feedback from their classmates. The weekly, teacher-led topics and articles combined with student-led responses and projects provide a great balance of guidance and autonomy for the more advanced Spanish learner.

2006-03-06T21:22:00.000-08:00

Samuel- the little heartbreaker

2006-03-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

Omarcito (left) is six!! With brothers Gabriel and Adrecito.

2006-03-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

It had been WAY too long since I'd added a picture of my nephews. Let's bask in their beauty once more...

This week in Technology World, I created a Yahoo Groups for my classes. I share my class power points with them, some links, and I have even started polling them on different aspects of the class. So far not so many have responded but I am going to remind them again tomorrow. I wish I could like my powerpoints to my normal ufl website, but the program I used, Microsoft Publisher, won't let me for some reason. Grrr. Anyways, I will let you all know if this Group works... ciao.

2006-03-01T13:39:00.000-08:00

For my CMC project, I am thinking about using a discussion board to have students journal freely as they would in the "Mi Diario" section of their workbooks. I might even have them do the "Mi Diario" online... I am interested in having students interact in writing through CMC in an informal way that promotes community and out-of-class thinking in Spanish. I am still brainstorming topics and rules for interaction, as well as the rubric I will use. Any comments are welcome!!!!!!!!!!

2006-02-21T20:47:00.001-08:00

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

2006-02-16T06:16:00.000-08:00

Here's me in Toledo.

2006-02-15T16:32:00.000-08:00

Message for Alberto:

2006-02-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

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!!!!!

2006-02-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

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?

2006-02-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-02-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-02T10:53:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

cotton, any one?

2006-02-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

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.

2006-01-31T22:06:00.000-08:00

and how about them apples...

2006-01-31T21:57:00.000-08:00

Genevieve is hard to compete with..... but behold.........We call him Samuel.

2006-01-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Joylandia!!!!

2006-01-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

Here's me in Guanajuato, Mexico with el nacimiento.